How Soon is Now?
by PhoenixedForFinally
Summary: The story of Rosalie and Emmett...Their trials and tribulations and the roadblocks between the most beautiful woman in the world and the strongest man she knows.
1. Aperture Science

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(Aperture Science: We do what we must, because we can.)

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_Emmett_

It's 1935, and sweltering summer. It's July to be exact. I live on my own, in my little bungalow. In Tennessee, not far from my family's home. Occasionally, I invite a girl over, or play a game of football with some guys. Nothing ever happens. I like to go hiking too, see the waterfalls and go swimming. Feel the great Earth under my feet.

I wore only my trousers as I walked down my familiar path to a large waterfall. I liked it, because, there was a girl who was so fast, that she must have been a ghost…that was exciting! I didn't get much excitement lately. Maybe I'd see her again someday…

Peacefully looming trees blocked the August sun from burning my skin, and patches of white glowing sunlight passed through the treetops. It made my skin warm; just uncomfortably warm enough to hasten me the waterfall.

The sapphire water moved and glistened as it flew down the rock face, pooling coolly.

"Ah…" Life was good to you sometimes. I scaled the rocks, in five minutes, knowing the good sturdy spots. I stood at the top, and then flung myself off the top. I hit the water, the liquid scaring my naturally curly hair straight for now.

I opened my eyes underwater, Ma always told me not to, and I saw:

A fish, wide eyed and frightened, it darted away. Okay.

A deep underwater crevice I'd never venture into. Seen it before.

A girl, she was darting gracefully in the water, her blonde hair levitating around her face. Huh? Was it my ghost? In my slight glimpse, she seemed to hiss, and rushed into the underwater crevice-cave-thing. I ran out of air now, and I struggled to reach to the surface. I clawed to the dirt, my run-in with The Return of The Ghost winding me. The urge to swim dissipated. I lay on the dirt breathing heavily, coughing.

I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there now, but my hair was beginning to dry and curl and my bare chest was dry. So I pulled on my crisp white shirt and began to trek back to the bungalow.

I must have turned the wrong way.

Because the sun is setting, and Emmett McCarty isn't home. To add, I heard something growl.

Lord God Almighty, help me back.

* * *

_Rosalie_

Good Rosalie battled with Bad Rosalie. Then they both teamed up on Vampire Rosalie.

He smelled so good. I wanted his…

_Blood? Of course you do, idiot._

_You could have had him; you caught his thick scent _through _the water_. _Wonderful…can you imagine your teeth on his neck…_

_That's irrational, that is stupid, and you can't disappoint yourself like that._

_Why did that even happen? Why did I irrationally go swimming when you picked up a scent before then? The boy you saw before. _

I mentally slapped myself. I was walking at a human pace, and I was heading towards the house and three loud noises whipped through the air.

A frenzied bellow. A roar. A snap.

I bolted towards the source, letting my feet carry me as fast as possible. The venom pooled in my mouth, as I smelled bear and human. A human with open wounds.

I came to a clearing, where that boy lay on the ground, one large gaping gash tore across his chest and smaller cuts and bruises were scattered everywhere else. The blood stained his completely white shirt blood red. I inhaled, the sweet scent tickling my dry, burning throat. He was seemingly smashed into a weak tree, causing the snap. I didn't breathe; That Boy's pained face caused my unnecessary breathing to hitch. He wheezed.

Then, only at this point, I sensed the large brown bear. It growled, and then snarled in a bear like fashion.

I hissed. The bear growled again, and advanced slightly. I wanted to _kill_ this stupid animal. In my thinking, the bear began to rise on its hind legs, clawing at an invisible aerial attack.

Well, I wanted it _gone_, at least.

I shook in my anger and let a deep angry growl come from far inside. It ripped past my teeth and into the air. I sounded far more intimidating than I first imagined. That was good.

The stupid thing seemed to get my point. The bear backed off and yelped as it bounded away from me. I did want to fight it, but why worry when your dress could get dirty?

The stupid kid should know that bears are out at dusk. It's dangerous at dusk.

_Yeah, what with vampires lurking around where they shouldn't. Bears are definitely top on the list. _Bad Rosalie cawed inside my head.

I tuned my insanity out and focused on the boy. He wheezed again, and managed to open his eyes.

They were a wonderful forest green, glittering. He had cute, curly coffee hair that seemed just a bit immature for a man his age. He had deep-set dimples that added towards his immaturity. Looked as if he smiled all the time. Mustn't that be annoying…

He looked a bit like Henry…What a happy kid…with his dimples and bright green eyes and curly hair…

He grinned a little, enunciating those dimples, and added, "Hey, you're that girl, aren't you?" He croaked.

"What?" That seemed quite irrelevant.

"The girl from the…waterfall." He struggled to spit 'waterfall' out. He raised his bleeding hand towards my face, pointing weakly. I ignored the urge to grab his wrist and bleed him dry. I was good at ignoring things.

"Shut up, you idiot." I snapped. He nodded, frowned, and then closed his eyes. 2.3 seconds later, he seemed to pass out, rather fatally. Good Rosalie began to panic.

_Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. _Bad Rosalie and Vampire Rosalie were fighting whether to kill him or bleed him.

"Hey, Sir, you'll be fine. We'll make sure you…survive." I said. No visible response. I picked his form up, threw him on my back and headed towards the house.

I felt slower getting there, but I managed. _Edward! Please help me _now. Good Rosalie called raggedly.

Edward was on the porch, in a second. He snapped his head, looking at my Boy and me. He didn't say anything for a good while. I wasn't having that.

"Edward! Help me, you jackass!" I cried.

In a very un-Edward-like fashion he said, "Why? You aren't thinking of doing anything at all to him, right?" He frowned, disappointedly at me. Ah, maybe it was Edward-like.

I would have just ripped his head off right there if Esme hadn't busted through the front door. "Rose! What happened?" She cried.

"Bear. Attack. Him. Me. Save. Run." I babbled. Esme didn't seem to understand the specifics, but understood the logistics. I heard the man's ragged, shallow, guppy breathing near my ears.

Carlisle appeared, in a second. "What are you doing out here, Rosalie? Bring him inside!"

I followed.

Esme told Edward to "Be nice, and come inside." He sighed, but followed.

I placed him on the couch. His breathing became slower.

Edward began to scowl. "Rosalie, what do you propose to do now?"

"I don't know! Nurse him back to health?"

Carlisle shook his head. "Impossible. He's too far in now. We can't just give him to the nearest hospital either, we'd attract attention."

Edward whipped his head towards Carlisle. "You don't seriously…"

"Be quiet, Edward. Please." Esme said, frowning at Edward for being a bit rude. Why was my 'mother' always so nice to Edward, no matter how incompetent and stupid Edward was?

I felt His presence start to leave us. "Forget Edward! Please Carlisle, save him! Save him, please!" I screamed. I didn't want him to leave us, not this kid.

"You're sure, because I don't think that it's the best ide-"

"Yes! Of course! Carlisle, don't let him die!"

"Fine, Rosalie."

Carlisle kneeled to his level and bit into his neck, twice for reinforcement, and then hit major points, like his wrists and ankles. It was completely silent for one second. Then he shook, and his eyes opened, panicked and frenzied. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. I felt foolish now, damning him like that.

"You should be." Edward murmured, then left before I could retort something at him. He seemed angry and I didn't want to deal with that moron right now.

"So what now?" I asked, my voice coming out a little too worried for my liking.

"Well, now…" Carlisle began to say things about the parts of the heart, and the immune system. I don't think he sensed that I didn't understand his words. "...eventually a temporary shutdown per se…and then his heart should speed up and then stop…"

Carlisle and I stood in silence for a few seconds, looking at the man on our couch. He let out another scream and turned away from us on the couch, shaking. Carlisle took Esme's hand and they both left the living room. Leaving him and me together. I kneeled and touched his back softly, almost whimpering.

* * *

_Emmett_

It was kind of like the time I fell into the campfire when I was twelve. Except worse. It felt like I was pinned onto Satan's roasting spit. The pain came in spirals and bursts, constant spirals and bursts. Like firebirds and phoenixes were flying around me and a branding iron was stuck to my spine.

Like fire.

Like lots of fire.

Like fire.

Through the flames, I felt a cold limb brush against the thin fabric of my shirt. And a voice.

It must have been some angel, sent straight from God himself, calling from Heaven. It never surprised me that I found myself here, this hell, because I wasn't at monk status or anything, not even close.

"What is your name?" The angel called to me. Aren't they supposed to know? I figure it was a test to gauge my respect.

My voice was a hiss, an angry snake. "Emmett…McCarty…"

The angel spoke again. "You can speak? You poor soul, what have I done?" Her voice was soft and sweet, like caramelized sugar. It seemed sultry, though not on any kind of purpose.

"You haven't done any…thing. I'm fine." Suddenly, a burst of intense fire shot from my toes to my very highest hair. I screamed involuntarily, like saying "Ouch!"

She began to weep. Dry racking sobs, didn't do much to her voice. "Oh God, why couldn't I just mind my own business? I'm sorry, McCarty. Why didn't I just leave?" It didn't sound very angel-like, but who am I to decide?

"My lady," I addressed with the kindest of tones, "You're gonna save me. You'll save me, and we'll both be in heaven."

She laughed, her caramelized sugar hardening. "Sure." Her voice was sweet, hard toffee at this point. "I'm just killing you. You're lucky you can even talk. Really lucky."

I didn't really have anything to say. "…What is your name?"

"…Rosalie. Just in case."

_Rosalie._ What a beautiful name. Like a rose, you know? It hurt too much to move, so I didn't turn to look at my angel.

* * *

_Rosalie_

Well, damn.

I can't believe I'm beating on _myself_ for saving this man. I mean, who should be thanking whom? Me? Carlisle? Emmett?

It's been a while. Three days, ten hours, and forty-seven minutes, since this whole thing began. Since that moment, I've trapped myself in one of the few places a girl could some privacy. Well, actually, I was still pretty open to everyone in the house, but at least in a physical sense I was alone. Because I never managed to go hunting that day, it's been a week and two days since I've last hunted. My eyes were darkening, dark dirt brown by now.

I put the thought of my usually pretty eyes on a subconscious backburner. I sat in front of my vanity, brushing my hair. I loved my hair. I loved everything about myself.

I mean, I _am _the prettiest person I know! Perfect eyes, perfect hair, perfect voice, and a perfect body.

_Don't worry Rose, you're pretty. You're stunning. You're beautiful. The beautiful people always come out good in the end. Everything about you is perfect, babe. You are great. _Good Rosalie consoled. She was so right! I'm so…

Beautiful…I knew that all already. But it didn't help. Because those thoughts never left.

So those unnecessary thoughts bubbled up again, as well as I tried to not remember.

_Oh wait. Perfect memory._

I'm never going to get anything out of this hell I'm living in. No kids, no family, no exciting birthdays. Nothing like Vera, even if the whole Carlisle thing never happened, where would I be now anyway? Dead…Royce…No.

No.

I wouldn't go there, not today. Today was horrible and confusing enough as it is without revisiting horrible human memories.

…Edward. Edward, then. Why would he just drop me like that? I was so bitter. Was? I'm still so damn bitter. And it doesn't help that Edward is a total jackass to me now.

Those words from Carlisle I so vividly remember from that day.

_"But there is so much waste!"_

_"Why save her? What's so special?"_

"_So much waste…I can't just let her go! She hasn't done anything wrong! I can't let another person just go like that."_

"_What's your point, Carlisle?"_

"_I didn't have to save you either, Edward." It was the first of few moments Edward Cullen was floored._

_Forget Edward, you don't need that loser. _Good Rosalie cheered. _Maybe you can at least make some friends, Rose. _

With who?

Oh, of course, the curly haired kid…

_What, the curly kid you_ personally_ damned to eternity? Ha. _Bad Rosalie interrupted.

_You need another vampire companion, Rose. Carlisle will never be your _friend _per se, only a teacher, a father, Esme's using you as a child, and Edward is the enemy, your brother in the nicest sense. _Vampire Rosalie pointed out.

_He seems wonderful, and strong! You weren't able to talk when you were changed, right? That's real strong! Emmett's dreamy hair and his smile…imagine how handsome he'll be after this whole ordeal! _Good Rosalie swooned_. What a beaut. What a beau!_

"Oh, shut the hell up." I muttered. I don't even know this fool yet, so what's to swoon about?

I was so insane. Oh, so, insane.

My voices and I all sighed.

"Rosalie?" Someone knocked on my door. I knew who it was.

"Carlisle." I acknowledged.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't care if you do or if you don't."

Carlisle gently opened the door. "I think we need to talk."

"Fine, we can talk." I snapped. I didn't turn around and I didn't stop brushing my hair.

"I know you must be going through a lot lately…you haven't even hunted for a while now. It seems that a few rather forgettable things are resurfacing around here, and most of them are your problems. I have a hunch that you're going to use…" Carlisle fished for the name.

I growled. "Emmett."

"...You're going to use Emmett as a vessel for your anger and anguish, and I can tell that that's a very bad idea. I don't want you ruining this life for him. He seems, just by facial expressions even, like a very happy man. You'll crush his spirit. You're just hurting yourself in the end, Rosalie, dear." Carlisle explained tentatively.

"What are trying to say, Carlisle?"

"I'm just…Well, I'm…I mean…" Carlisle trailed off. "Be nice to him, Rosalie. Okay?"

I raised my voice to sound like a five-year-old. "I'll be on my best behavior, daddy!"

"Seriously, Rose."

"I'm being serious, Carlisle. I'll be considerate."

Carlisle sighed, and touched my shoulder. I saw the worry in his amber eyes through my mirror. Then he patted it, and left. Ugh, always so nice.

_We'll see how long it takes for your unstable mind to fracture…_ Bad Rosalie muttered.

Another scream split through the air, worse than the rest. How is he getting his throat to work at all right now? Poor kid.

And then Esme called, "Rosalie! Get down here!"

I was downstairs before my conscious brain registered the command.

* * *

_Emmett_

As quickly as it appeared…

It left.

I'm still curled up in a corner of the large couch, and I was thrown back by the wave of smells that entered my nostrils.

Everything!

Freshwater, saltwater, pine, vanilla, cinnamon, raspberries, lily, rose, dirt, dust, watermelon, lemon, mint, lilac, cantaloupe, honeydew, chocolate, and the dusty fabric of the couch. They all were part of some big smell collage, each one different and distinct, but mixing together.

That was the point where I figured out that breathing wasn't necessary.

That was great! I could explore that underwater cavern now!

I heard sounds I never thought humans could pick up. The leaves in the trees whispering to each other, the sound of waves lapping against a sandy beach somewhere nearby, fibers of my clothing causing friction between each other, static electricity between someone's socks and the carpet.

I groaned and sat up, stretching. Opening my eyes, I looked at my skin. Pale as poster board. Odd. I'm a pretty tan guy…well not really, but I was tan compared to _this._ When I saw all of the things with my new eyes, I was genuinely surprised by all the vividness and clarity of it all. I saw colors I never would have believed to exist. I looked up and my eyes met a pair of auburn ones.

They were the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. Perfectly brown, deep pools of amber.

She smiled at me, the smile reaching her eyes.

"Hello there, Emmett." She said.

It was _her_! My angel! Rosalie! I could pick up that saccharine voice anywhere. I could hardly manage my, "Hi…"

Rosalie tangled her golden hair around a finger, looking around the room, then at me some more. She looked embarrassed. Her other hand was nesting itself in a fold of her dress. I can see how the name fit the character. Pretty, like a rose. Not even, _pretty_. Indescribably stunning, lean, and wonderful, I guess.

I heard a small finger snap, and it wasn't from Rosalie the Angel.

"Um, you're Emmett McCarty, am I correct?" A voice asked. I turned around to see a very smart looking man, with the same amber eyes of Rosalie.

"Yeah, last time I checked…" I said. My voice was richer and deeper, like dark chocolate compared to Rosalie's caramelized sugar. I mesmerized myself! That was kind of weird, but it's not my fault that I sound like a god.

Does everyone around here sound godly? I knew Rosalie did…

"That's good. My name is Carlisle Cullen, this is my wife Esme," He placed his hand on a very nice looking amber-eyed lady with long locks of brown hair. She smiled at me. "And that's Edward," He motioned to a very apathetic looking guy, and he folded his arms.

Edward seemed to look smarter than me, the 'I Know Something You Don't Know' kind of smug look (a look I definitely recognized from my brothers). His lips twitched.

"…and finally, that's Rosalie." Carlisle motioned to said woman. "I figure there's no way to beat around this bush, so I think I should just say it…Taking in the consideration of all of your seemingly heightened senses, skin change…"

I wished he'd just get to his point. It was slightly obvious that they, or me even, weren't completely human. Maybe we were aliens, or just dead, maybe. Maybe heaven _was_ a large living room with pretty people in it. I wasn't that sure anymore. Edward's lips twitched again.

"We're all vampires, and so are you. A bear attacked you, Rosalie brought you here, and I was the one who changed you. You know…into a vampire."

What?

I couldn't help from bursting out in laughter. "Seriously, you mean like coffins and capes? And sucking the blood out of the living?" I managed to get out between laughs.

Rosalie giggled a few times. Her laugh was like wind chimes tinkling with each other in the wind. I wanted to hear that laugh over and over again. Maybe I could be the one who caused it?

Carlisle found it amusing too. "Well, you missed two out of three…It's a natural vampire reflex to kill humans but we prefer not to. We prefer animals, preferably predatory ones, instead of humans. Their blood is closer to a human's. We respect human life, I assume you do too?"

I nodded, who didn't?

"Well then, that's settled."

And then I felt this horrible dry burning in my throat. It was like a candle was stuck in my throat, and it wasn't coming out. I reflexively clasped my throat. I felt something like spit begin to pool in my mouth. Different scents began filling my nose. More animalistic.

"Um, would any of you happen to have any water?"

"…Emmett, I think it's time to go hunting. We can talk later." Carlisle came forward and patted my back.

This couldn't be that bad! This Carlisle character saved my life, and Rosalie is an angel…so, could vampirism be that bad?

* * *

To be continued…

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As much as I liked writing all of this…the self-insecurity is killing me. I'm afraid of messing something important up. And yeah…Emmett is pretty un-Emmett-ish, but that'll change later. Review if you'd like!


	2. I Complain Very Little

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(I Complain Very Little because, it's Better than it Was.)

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_Emmett_

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I felt really stupid following the rest of the Cullens out of the house, all burning and uncomfortable.

I must have looked like a mime with throat inflammation. Which might have been pretty amusing if it weren't me as the mime. Don't forget to mention the whole 'wearing Edward's too small shirt' thing.

Edward and Rosalie were faster than Carlisle and Esme, only because Carlisle kept explaining things to me, and Esme just kept nodding and patting my back.

Rosalie and Edward didn't seem to care as much as their parents. On the flipside, they were engrossed in their own conversation. It looked very casual, whatever they were talking about.

"…So, Emmett…why don't you try it out? Why don't you challenge Edward to a race?"

I snapped back to reality. "A race? Why?"

Carlisle shrugged. "I just kind of wanted to see…" He trailed off.

I couldn't resist a challenge. I love competition. "Why not?" I ignored the burning in my throat, and the mesmerizing baritone of my voice managed too.

I could just FEEL the smirk on Edward's face without him facing me. This worried me. "Hey, Edward! Want to race?" I called.

"It would be rude to decline, Emmett. Where to?" Edward turned and stopped. Rosalie looked very interested in the outcome.

"Um," I looked as far as my vision could take me. "That…really jagged rock formation near the river."

"Nice. Let's go." Edward bounced from one foot to the other, getting pumped.

Rosalie grinned, showing off her perfect teeth. My heart fluttered. If it were still beating, it'd probably be beating irregularly. "You should probably give him a head start, eh, Edward?" She said, folding her arms. I noticed between the time Carlisle suggested 'a hunt' Rosalie had switched her proper, tight, button-up dress for a slightly less conservative sundress.

"Of course! Why don't you get going, Emmett?"

"Okay then?" I took off running, but it wasn't like before. Not like those football games or Cross Country at school. I saw these brown and green things pass me and I realized that they were trees. I felt a glorious continuous stream of warm summer wind against my face. Running was great.

Why the hell did they give me a head start if I'm so fast?

That one was answered by a quick burst of air to my side. I heard something quick like, "Hey Emmett, Bye Emmett!"

Holy Hell?

I pushed to become faster, but my speed wasn't increasing. So I threw my whole body into this crazy, melodramatic leap to attempt beating Edward.

You know, just to look cool?

I crashed at Edward's shoes. "Well, damn." I muttered.

A hand found its way to the air in front of my face. I analyzed: perfect, dainty, and a bracelet is hanging on to the wrist.

It's Rosalie's! I quickly grabbed it for the chance to touch it. It annoyed me slightly that she managed to beat me too, but I took that in stride and just got up.

Carlisle and Esme arrived about one second after I got up. They were very amused by my failure.

"Did you guys know I would lose?" I asked. They all looked a bit sheepish, except Edward, for about one second.

"Er, yeah." Was the average answer. Like usual, Carlisle took it upon himself to explain. No one contested.

"Edward is the fastest of our little group, we were pretty sure you wouldn't beat him, but we always wanted to check as soon as we met another vampire. But after torturing you like that, you really should hunt." Carlisle chuckled.

Oh, that.

The burning in my throat was worse than it was before.

"Edward, why don't you go with him?" Esme said.

Edward gave a 'I really don't want to go with him' look. "Fine. Rosalie, go with him."

"Okay, Esme_. At least I do what my elders tell me_." Rosalie scoffed and pushed him into the rock formation. Unprepared, he fell _into_ the rock, snapping it in two. "_Uncalled for, Rosalie._" Edward said. Carlisle gave Rosalie a disapproving glance.

"Sorry. He deserved it!" Rosalie defended.

"Just go. We'll be behind, but you show him the ropes." Esme instructed.

She finally met my eyes. "Yeah, okay. Emmett, follow." I don't think 'Emmett, follow' could have made me move any faster. "Hmm, leave it to the beautiful blonde girl, right?" She murmured to herself.

* * *

_Rosalie_

We had taken a small jog for a few minutes, until the rest of them understood the whole, 'back off a bit further' concept.

I don't completely understand why Esme didn't have _Carlisle _show Emmett how to do this stuff, but I tried my best.

"Um, okay, so, I want you to smell the air. Tell me what you smell."

Emmett sniffed obnoxiously. I rolled my eyes. "Something pine, a sweet meat, a small amount of something a little more um…"

I smelled the bear. "Tougher to describe?" I supplied. "It's bear. The first one is deer."

Then his eyes flashed. Hardened almost. "I…I smell something better. Something so wonderful."

Fuck.

I grabbed Emmett as fast as I could and pinned him against a tree. He writhed to shake my grasp. I tried a method that was sure to not work. "Emmett. I don't know what you're talking about. What are you even talking about?"

"That smell, the blood!" He screamed.

"There is no blood. No smell. Just you and me, in a forest, standing. And there are some wild animals. Like bear, deer, and boar. Wonderful right?"

He looked down, letting his curly hair cover his face. I couldn't see his crimson eyes anymore. Maybe I just lifted my vice-grip for a millisecond because…

The next thing I knew, that sneaky little bastard leaped out of my grasp, out of the clearing and into the brush.

I bolted, chasing after him. I couldn't really see him, but I followed the smell of human.

I thought that whatever adventurous hiker in these parts was going down...but I catch up to Emmett and he's bent over a large male elk, just sucking it dry like a five-year-old with a juice box.

I knew well enough not to bother him in the process, but when he turned over, onto his back, full, I strode up to him.

"That was sure impressive of you, not killing anyone innocent." I wonder if he had such amazing self-control all the time. I was quite doubtful.

"Sure, but what if the elk had some purpose in life?"

"Emmett dear, you learn to cast thoughts like that away." I said, looking down at him.

He shrugged. "I guess."

It was quiet. "Well, Rosalie, why are you just standing there? Do you know how to explain what I almost did? I sure as hell don't."

"It seems you picked up a human scent but, either it got too far away and the elk's was stronger or you're just good at this."

"Aww, that-"

"Which I am highly dubious of, Emmett."

"Fine, no compliment. So cold."

"Funny."

"So, you are just gonna stand?"

"My dress'll get dirty if I sit. Sorry."

Emmett looked hurt again. "Oh! You're saying some piece of fabric and buttons is more important than a buddy of yours?"

It's my favorite dress. Of course it is. Idiot.

I could feel Carlisle's warning at the back of my head. _Be nice to him, Rosalie. _

So I gave him the nice answer. "Yes."

He laughed. "Fine, stand. Like I care. 'Cause I don't."

_Oh, his laugh is so dreamy. He's so nice…_ I had managed to not sound insane until now. Well, at least it was Good Rosalie.

Emmett folded his arms behind his head and stared at the sky. Then, quick and nimbly, he swung his foot against my own. I was unprepared, how un-perfect of me, and fell.

Right on top of him. By his shocked expression, I sensed that he didn't want me on him, more like next to him.

"Hey." He breathed.

Well, you know, it would _god awful_ if Edward or Carlisle…or even worse, Esme were to arrive now.

"Hi." I replied. I fell in this haphazard fashion that made it look like I was just clawing for some. Great.

This was so damn cliché! I mean, girl falls on guy? If Fate is trying to trip Rosalie Hale up, then she's got to throw some more effort into this. I hated clichés.

"So, I figure Emmett managed to quench his thirst, eh, Rosalie? Good job."

Ah! The one person I don't want a snide remark from. _Edward. _

I couldn't help but growl. "You don't know what happened, Edward! Belt up!" I screamed. I was suddenly in Edward's face, murmuring malicious things to him. As usual, Edward was impassive.

Emmett just sat up, looking at Edward and me. Carlisle was there within a second of our confrontation. "Calm down, Rosalie."

He just glared at Edward. "I think we should go home," Emmett said, meekly.

"That's an idea." Esme agreed. She came over and helped Emmett off of the forest floor.

Esme passed me, but Emmett stopped next to me. "Rosalie!" He whispered.

"Would it make you feel better if I smashed his face in?"

The thought made me giggle. "Hmm, you wish."

Emmett tried to down a grin. "Well, if I beat him at something, anything, would it make you happier?"

"Sure. Fine. But Edward is great at everything, so good luck, kid."

Emmett ran up to Edward and said something to him. Edward shot a glance at me, curious. Then he turned back to Emmett and said something. It was very clear actually. "_Okay, Emmett._"_  
_

Emmett grinned, (grinning was one of his habits I've noticed), and ran off. Edward followed.

I kept walking down the forest path, and Carlisle made it his goal to talk to me.

"They're going to arm wrestle." Carlisle said. "So…how are things going with Emmett?"

"What're you? My mother?"

"I'm just asking, Rose." Carlisle defended.

"He's just a vampire…he does vampire things…he makes jokes occasionally, too." I said, not getting at anything he wanted to hear.

"Ah, nice."

"Why do you want to know?"

"No reason, Rosalie."

* * *

_Emmett_

I was SO going to win; I'm basically the unofficial Tennessee Arm Wrestling Champion, so declared by my dad.

"Okay, Emmett, show me what you've got." Edward stuck his hand up on a flat rock. It was probably half of the rock Edward broke earlier. I seized his hand and counted it off. I pushed as hard as I could.

I didn't know if Edward was just being nice again, or I was just _that _good, but he lost.

Edward looked surprised for a second or two and then frowned. "It's just because he's a newborn. He's unfairly strong." Edward looked like he died a little. That was good.

"Hey Edward, how about this? When Emmett passes his newborn stage, we'll try it again." Esme said.

"But, I beat Rosalie in a newborn arm wrestle!"

Rosalie was looking on in…was that admiration? She called, "You're just admitting that Emmett is stronger than you, Edward!" Her angel's smile covered her face.

"Whatever, can we head back to the house?"

"That is what we need to do anyway. We still need to describe the finer points of life to Emmett." Carlisle said, motioning to return.

I didn't know where we were after that whole race escapade, but the rest of them did, so I just followed.

We returned to their home, a large, large, house that I never saw from the outside before.

I was about to throw myself onto their couch, but Edward grabs me and says that I'll break their antique couch if I jump. I sat as gracefully as I could manage.

Rosalie was beside me, sitting pretty and proper and perfect. I think my back just straightened itself out because of her. Edward (gracefully!) threw himself onto an armchair the wrong way. It looked like something he didn't do often.

Esme sat on the far side of the couch, next to Rosalie.

Carlisle stood, and said, "Emmett, where is your family?"

That one kind of floored me. "Uh, a few towns back from my own house. Why?"

"I'm afraid that you can't go back to them, ever. As long as you are with us you're not. Well, of course you can, but I'd advise against it. Now I should give you the chance to leave us now, if you want to live your own life…"

What about Rosalie? I can't live without Rosalie, whether she knew that or not. "I'd love to be part of this family!" I declared. I took the whole 'never see your family again' in stride.

"That's great Emmett! We'd love another addition!" Esme clasped her hands in happiness.

Before Carlisle could delve into another subject, Esme asked, "What was your family like, Emmett?"

"Ah, well, I have eight siblings, six brothers and two sisters. I was youngest. I always competed with my brothers and sisters. I loved my sisters, maybe even more than my brothers. Josephine and Mary, those girls. I loved them. I was always trying to beat my siblings at everything, maybe for a sense of superiority. I don't know…"

"So, what were you doing that you last remember before becoming one of us?"

That should have been an easy question…I tried to swim through foggy human memories. Oh, yeah! "I was swimming, and then I was heading home…then I remember a big brown bear."

"Why were you heading out so close to dusk? It's dangerous then."

"Well, I wasn't planning to go home that night, I was going to just sleep under the stars as I occasionally do. It never caused me any problems."

"Why would you want to do that?" Rosalie asked.

"I love camping! That was a rare thing when I lived with my family, camping. So when I got a chance to do it all the time, I jumped on it. I love nature."

Rosalie squinted, still looking beautiful, "But nature is so _dirty_…what about your clothes?"

"Well, if they got dirty, I took them home and washed them, simple." I shrugged.

Rosalie gave me a funny look. "Whatever floats," she said.

It seemed that the idea of sleeping anywhere besides a bed was horribly absurd to Rosalie.

Tough.

"So wait, if we're the living dead, how do you have children?" I asked.

"We can't. Edward and Rosalie are technically adopted. I mean, we're invisible to the government so it isn't official, but in theory it is. We both saved them from near death."

"How wonderful." Edward muttered. I didn't understand why people mutter or murmur around here because everyone could hear it anyway. A life mystery, I suppose.

"I have another question. Why is Edward always smirking at me?" Because it was a little creepy.

"Oh, Edward! You didn't tell him?" Esme chided.

"No, why would I? Emmett, when you enter your vampire life you bring your best qualities from your human life. I can read minds, Esme brought her ability to love passionately, Carlisle has compassion, and Rosalie has her ever-present tenacity..."

"I hope that's a compliment, boy."

"Oh, why of course it is! I would compliment anyone who stares in a mirror all day!"

"That wasn't a compliment! I don't stare at mirrors, I just like looking good!"

"That sure isn't self-absorbed, Rosalie."

"When did this become an argument about self-absorbency? Besides, we all know who wins that contest."

"Edward, Rosalie!" Rosalie and Edward both shrieked.

Esme bit her lip, but did nothing.

"Oh come on! Edward, you're only saying that to hide the obvious fact of _your _arrogance!"

"I'm arrogant? You're the one who spends three hours in the bathroom!"

"…There are like, four other bathrooms in the house!"

"And you pick the one next to my room."

"It's closer to my room, Edward! The one near the guest room is closer to your room!"

"Want to check?"

"Hell yes, I want to check!"

"Hey, hey, _hey_! No one is checking anything!" Carlisle intervened. "Edward, can you show Emmett to his new room?"

Edward nodded, (after glaring at Rosalie for some time), and motioned for me to follow him. I followed him to a room at the end of their upstairs hallway. It looked like a guest room. Edward opened the door with a sarcastic flourish. "Your room, Sir Emmett, _right next to the bathroom that is rightfully Rosalie's_." Rosalie yelled something impolite in response from downstairs.

I ignored the last part. "Thank you, my lad."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Funny."

"Is that the catchphrase here, or something?"

"No. It's 'shut up.'" Edward said, shutting the door behind me.

I laughed. That was actually funny.

I fell onto the thick green comforter of the bed. It was a relatively small room, and there was one window, painted brown. It was open and letting a single shaft of sunlight pierce into the dank room. The dust particles from the bed sprang into motion from me hitting it, floating into and out of the sunbeam. I got up and opened the modest closet. No clothes. That's a problem.

I felt even more uncomfortable in Edward's shirt, buttons ready to burst. I fell back onto the bed, on my side, looking at the pastel green walls that were my new home.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Heh, I continued even though I told myself not to update until someone reviews, but I don't believe in holding chapters hostage. Review if you'd like. Well, reviewing would be great, but whatever. And you know what? I never finished the finer points. I dunno, more confrontation in chapter three between Rosalie and Emmett! Yay!


	3. She Liked You Wednesday

_

* * *

_

(She Liked You Wednesday, but now it's Friday and She Has to Wash Her Hair)

* * *

_Rosalie_

It's been two days since Emmett's become a vampire…

(I thought that so casually, "Oh, just two?" Haha.)

…and Carlisle's intentions are officially clear like winter ice. I mean, it's a bit unlucky for Carlisle and Esme to have a room next to mine lately. They're always in there, talking about Emmett or me. They speak so quietly; _I_ have to press my ear against the wall to hear. And let me tell you, they are going to get the hissy fit of their lives if Edward hears about it.

So it's a beautiful Friday afternoon and I'm spending it attached to the poster of the Arc de Triomphe in my room.

"I'm not sure…Rose and Emmett …" Conversation fade-out.

"…We're not… forcing anything…" Fade-out.

"We'll just wait, Rosalie is a very volatile person…"

The hell I am! So it's another companion for Rosalie, eh?

Bad Rosalie hopped on the chance to bitch about it. _Do they really expect you to fall in love with that guy? He's so…nice, and funny. No one likes a funny person!_

_Hey B.R., can you hear the absurdity of your sentence? _Vampire Rosalie chuckled.

_Oh come on, guys! Can we give life a chance again? There's nothing wrong with Emmett! Heck, he's great. I like him; he's so silly and cute!_

_I have to vouch for 'im too, B.R. He royally beat Edward, at arm wrestling, no less! But…I don't know if Emmett is the right kind of guy for you. And for safety's sake, we should stay his buddy. Vampire Rosalie, the voice of reason._

_But everything's for safety's sake with you people! Take a chance!_ Good Rosalie was pulling on her hair.

_Hey, hold your proverbial horses, kids. And Rosalie, stop pulling your hair. If it falls out, it'll never grow back. As I was saying, Bad Rosalie is right to be worried. And Good Rosalie is right to be in love._

_Well, we'll just see who wins this argument later girl_…Bad Rosalie began.

A knock on the door interrupted my thought process. "Uh, Rosalie? Can we talk?"

Everyone wants to talk to me!

I leaped onto my bed, grabbed a magazine and tried to look nonchalant. "Come in, Emmett."

He opened the door slowly. "Hi."

"Hello, Emmett. Are you liking your room?"_ 'Be nice to him, Rosalie.'_

"Yeah, it's a little small. But I'm not going to complain. I like the color scheme. Who painted?"

"Esme."

"Oh, does she like doing that kind of stuff?"

"Yes."

A moment passed.

"Well, what did you need?" I said. At the same time I wanted him gone, I wanted him to stay in my room for hours.

"I wanted to know you a bit better…I was talking with Edward earlier today. He told me his life story…"

I think he saw me tense. I think he saw me tense up. A muscle I didn't remember the name of contracted in my arm.

Warily, he continued, "And I asked to hear yours and he said that I'd have to ask you and wished me good luck."

"Did you take a hint?" I hissed.

What I liked about Emmett already is that he could pick up my slightest movement. He saw my face contort for a second and he backed off. "I guess not fast enough." He sighed.

"I'm not going to bother you to tell me, because it'll be better when you just tell me." Emmett sat on the edge of my bed.

I felt all of Bad Rosalie's anger dissolve for now. "Fine. Are you going to leave?"

"Do you want me to?" He said, getting up.

Yes! No, of course not! Would you two shut up?

"Um…" I stalled.

Emmett smiled his dazzling smile. I crumpled futilely. "Uh, yeah! Of course, but there's uh, nothing to do in here!"

"We can find something. Let's be friends, eh Rosalie?" He extended his large hand to me.

"Buddies." I agreed, putting his hand to his side.

"So, whatcha got in here to do?"

"Magazines, puzzles…"

"Oh! Oh! OH! Let's do a jigsaw puzzle! The hardest one you have!"

_He asked for it!_ Vampire Rosalie grinned, knowing about "Old Reliable – Sure to Cure All Boredom!"

"Emmett, go inside my closet, turn left, pass the blue sundress and the really big pair of hiking boots."

Emmett stood outside of my closet. "How much stuff do you have in here?"

"Mm, a lot…now go!" I commanded from the bed.

Emmett waded into the large walk in closet, unsure of the dangers, it seemed. "Oh, here it is!" Emmett resurfaces from the depths of my closet and peers at the box.

"What the hell is this a picture of, anyway?"

"It's a valley in Germany. Isn't it pretty?"

"As far as valleys go, sure!"

I took the box from him, opened it, turned it over and watched 1850 pieces of cardboard tumble from it.

"That is a lot of puzzle, Rosalie."

"Old Reliable never caused boredom in its life. Though you'd think vampires would be better at puzzles than humans, but that's another talent that's acquired, not inherited."

"You'd think. Have you finished this puzzle before?"

"Um, only once. Two years ago."

"…And how long did that take you?"

"Oh…two weeks." I laughed, recollecting the memory.

Emmett grinned. Out of nervousness, I said, "Would it be rude to you if I brushed my hair?"

Emmett cocked his head to the side, like a puppy, or maybe a bear cub. "What? Okay, sure."

I got off of the bed and Emmett fell on his side, now lying down. I grabbed my silver brush off of my vanity and returned to my bed. Whenever I got nervous, I brushed my hair. I was so goddamn nervous, right now. What if I messed everything up? What if Emmett did something stupid? What if…

* * *

_Emmett_

I'm trying to find a corner piece, (because that's the only way to start!), and suddenly I hear Rosalie breathing really fast. The brush was next to my elbow.

"Rosalie, you're hyperventilating! Calm down, girl!"

She looked at me, a little frenzied. Then she composed herself. "Oh, sorry…I don't know what happened. Sorry, Emmett."

"It's okay?"

"Yes, yes it is."

It was dead quiet, minus the sound of puzzle pieces hitting each other.

Rosalie sighed. I wonder why she was brushing her hair if it was always perfect? I picked up the brush and handed it back to her. "I don't know if you want this…"

Rosalie snatched it from my fingers, hard for my eyes to pick up. "Hmm! Thank you, Emmett." Rosalie averted my eyes for half of a minute and then asked, "Emmett, how old are you?"

"Uh, twenty. Why?" I waited for her answer by looking into her amber eyes.

"Oh, no reason!"

I was reaching for the left bottom corner piece, and apparently Rosalie was too. I ended up briefly grasping her hand. I felt a spark of warmth.

I recoiled as quick as I could. "Sorry."

"It's…okay. Sorry about that." Rosalie waved it off.

I hummed a tune as I put another piece in its place.

Rosalie coughed. "Emmett, would you like to go hunting? I'm thirsty."

The dull burning in my throat was getting too hard to ignore. "Glad you asked."

* * *

_Rosalie_

I left the puzzle in its current state and put my brush back on the vanity. Emmett was already thumping down the wooden staircase by the time I exited the room.

"Come on, Rose, let's go!"

Hey. When did it become legal to call me that here? I let it slide and continued down the stairs.

Edward looked up from Little Women on the couch after seeing Emmett blur by, then looked at me.

He mouthed, "Rose?"

"I don't know…" I mouthed back.

Edward laughed one solitary "Heh," and kept reading.

It was about seven in the evening now, the sun beginning its trek to what was whatever behind those hills that blocked the sun every evening. The creamsicle sky was dabbed with bits of red and blue...

_Emmett and I were standing on top of a hill, the sun in the same creamsicle state, bathing us in beautiful orange light._

_"Rosalie, you look beautiful."_

_I blushed._

_He lowered his head to mine and kissed me. When it ended, Emmett chuckled. "You're 'sposed to tell me how great I look. But I'll take the compliments when I get them."_

_"Well, I'm sorry Em. I'll make it up to you though…"_

"…Rosalieeeee? Rosalie, you still with us?" Emmett waved a hand in front of my face.

"What? Oh, sorry Emmett." I snapped out of that daydream. Pity, it was getting good too.

"Yes, yes, it's all right! Come on let's go!" Emmett said. He grabbed me by the arm and sped down a forest path.

"Emmett!" I screamed as he flew through the trees, apparently driven by the hunt, I grabbed onto his form.

I was only doing that because I don't want to hit the ground, not because I want an excuse to feel his muscles, no way.

"What Rosalie?" He said, words fast.

"You're going kind of fast, don't you think?"

"Nah, no way! I'm still going slow, girl!" I think he was just having fun with me now.

"Emmett, I'm jumping if you don't let me down right now." I threatened.

Emmett's grin was big enough to see from behind his head. "Oh gosh! What'll happen to your dress?"

I let go and I flew back so fast that I used all four limbs to stop myself. I frowned as I saw the multitudes of dirt up my fingernails. "Damn. He's going to get it."

* * *

_Emmett_

I half hoped that this was foreshadowing to our future together, but I felt whatever blood I had in my system freeze when this call came.

"Emmett. _Stop right there_!"

One part of me screamed to obey the blonde goddess, the other told me to run as fast as I could.

I leaped to a tree, hanging off of a branch.

"What's going on, Rosalie? Is something wrong?"

"Hell yes, there is something wrong, you idiot!"

I saw Rosalie appear. She was completely unfazed by my hanging upside down on a tree.

She shoved her hand in front of my face. "Um, is it broken?" I tried.

"Vampires can't break bones! Look harder." She commanded.

"…Um, I got nothing." I said.

"My fingernails! You made me get dirt in my fingernails! I have to clean them out when I get home!" Rosalie wailed over the lost lives of her still-glistening nails.

"Your nails are fine. Who's looking at your nails?" I shrugged upside down.

Rosalie pouted. "_I_ am."

"Crowd of one, eh? Well look at it this way! They were probably going to get dirty anyway."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Fine then. Well, let's go, I'm still thirsty." She started a brisk walk.

"As you wish, my lady!" I flipped off of the branch and caught up to her.

I was about to say something, but Rosalie interrupted. "Deer to the west, bear to the north, wolf to the east."

I smelled something like that, I guess. Rosalie would know.

"I'll take the bear." I said, stalking forwards.

"Go get them, tiger." I heard Rosalie say.

I broke out in a sprint, letting the now familiar scent of bear fill my nose. I was about to pounce, and then a shockwave of realization hit me. It was that bear! I could just feel it. The though got me feeling even more feral.

Out of somewhere deep, I actually growled. That was a bit weird, but I liked it! I did it again.

The bear got this look in its beady little eyes, and then it growled back.

I could have initiated a growl contest, but I decided that wouldn't make much sense. We all know who would win that one.

Me!

I pounced on it, him, I could smell. I got him right on his neck, before the scruff. I bled him dry. And I was pretty damn proud of myself too.

I returned to my feet and started to talk to the bear. "Hey. It's me. That Emmett kid with the curly hair? Yeah, me. I guess you thought you'd get away with it? Well, I could call it revenge but we're not on equal terms. I've got cool vampire skills and an angel to try to get, and you got nothing. Life isn't fair, kid." I kicked the bear softly. "That's just the way it goes…"

"…Emmett? Are you talking to a bear? A dead one?"

"Yes, yes I am, Rosalie." I didn't turn around.

"And did you call me an angel?"

"Yes, yes I did, Rosalie."

"Keep dreaming, Emmett. You're not getting me."

"That doesn't dilute the fact that you're an angel." I argued. 'Dilute' sure was a big word.

"Please..." Her sugary voice trailed. "Hey Emmett?"

"What?" I turned to face her.

"Want to play tag?"

"Tag?" I loved tag, but from Rosalie?

"That's what I said."

"Why not?"

"Okay, you're it."

Wait, 'I'm it?' Oh! Now I get it. Rosalie dashed away.

* * *

_Rosalie_

What is this guy doing to my subconscious? Tag? That was so childish!

But here I was giggling as I ran from my pursuer.

I hid in the top of a pine tree. Now, technically, that was against the rules, but vampire tag seems like an unfair game in itself.

Then I felt warm breath on my neck. "Hi Rosalie." Emmett whispered.

"Ah! You'll never get me!" I slipped through his grasp, leaped from the top of the tree and hit the ground running.

Emmett wasn't far behind me and Edward's shirt had been ripped off in the tree jumping process, (as noted by the blue shirt hanging in the tree).

_He looks even better without a shirt on!_ Good Rosalie squealed.

"He does…" I agreed.

Then Emmett roared and leaped at me. "I've got you now!"

I saw that I was standing next to a small pond with a waterfall. Oh God.

Emmett crashed into me softly, but hard enough to topple me over. I pulled on his arm and we fell into the water.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Ah, another chapter finished. Not much to say here. R and R, then.


	4. The Trees in the Moonshine

* * *

_(The Trees in the Moonshine are a Dark Lattice)_

* * *

_Emmett_

Some things you just can't see coming. Like having your angel pull you into your old swimming grounds.

It was fast. I careened into Rosalie's lukewarm, soft chest, felt an iron grip on my left arm, then the sharp splash into water.

I was swimming then, but I could have just sunk to the bottom if I wanted to. That was an assuring feeling, you know?

Unsurprisingly, Rosalie was slicing towards the top of the water, miffed at me pulling her in. She shot me a glare that was easy to pick up in the clear blue water.

She mouthed, "Emmett!" with some sort of frown.

Hmm, like it was MY fault? She should'nt've been standing so close to waters edge.

"Rosalie!" I tried, but that came out as a bubbled response. She clawed out of the water, and I saw her dainty looking boot slip off of her foot on the way out.

Yes! I shall use that boot in aid for my redemption. I swam, fast as usual, and picked the boot up. Then I jumped out of the water and fell next to Rosalie who seemed to be seething.

"Hey, babe. Dropped a boot." The words came out too quick to stop. Did I seriously say, 'babe?'

Rosalie turned her seething dripping body towards me. I swallowed venom as I noticed that in these circumstances, it wasn't a good idea for Rosalie to wear that thin sundress. But, it was kind of awesome for me. Her slender, goddess-like frame shook in anger. She hissed like some kind of wildcat, and leaped on me.

"_What is wrong with you? _You got _dirt_ in my nails _and _now I'm _wet. _I don't know what I'm going to do to you, but I'm going to make sure it is a permanent haunting memory that will _assuredly _scar you for life!" She screeched.

Before I tried to put on a fight, I noticed how beautiful Rosalie looked when she was dripping wet. I always thought that no one looked good coming out of a pool of anything. Once again, Rosalie broke that idea. Her hair darkened a few shades and on one side of her, hanging in front of my face, dripping sweet smelling residue of whatever shampoo she used.

Her eyes were a little too angry to be gratuitously described at the moment. Oh, yeah, the anger.

"Rosalie!"

This was almost degrading. Rosalie was on top of me, banging on my chest, cursing a lot, slapping me and shaking my shoulders. I _knew _I could just lift her off, and set her down, but she would almost undeniably get angrier.

If I learned anything about Rosalie Hale is that she was 'get angry now, stay angry later, then think about it.'

"Ah!"

I decided to try to escape, but she had this grasp on me, pinning me. Ooh, sexy.

I wish.

"Rosalie, get off of me!" I demanded.

"Make me! I want to see you squirm, kid!"

"Can't we just talk about the whole water thing?"

"NO!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"_Please?_"

"Argh!"

Rosalie growled.

I had an idea. I grabbed her arms, which were glued to my shoulders, and flipped her back into the water. But her hands managed to grab my right foot, which was bare.

"Oh, come on!" Her brute strength and my surprise pulled me under.

I came to open my eyes under the water, and met Rosalie's livid ones. She began speaking underwater; I could understand some of her lips' movements.

"I think...total…" She kept going. "You are so going…"

* * *

_Rosalie_

"…To pay for this. We are NOT finishing that puzzle, so you can shove it up…"

I paused at this moment. He looked so wonderful, right now in my anger.

Emmett was being very cute, again. The way his hair just floated above his face, and his confused look, and his overall shirtless-ness…it was great. He cocked his head again.

_Hey, why aren't you angry, Rosalie? I was waiting for you to smash him! _Bad Rosalie whined.

_Shut up, you idiot! _Good Rosalie cut off. _We are on a roll._ _Don't mess anything up, Bad._

Bad Rosalie probably just knocked something expensive over.

I probably would have inhaled deeply right now, but I didn't want any water in my system.

Bad Rosalie will get her dues tonight, yes she will. Emmett will not get out of this, not with his cuteness (Bad Rosalie: _Blasphemy! Hold your tongue!_), or with magic, or with anything. Now, notice how he's just cute. Teddy bears, kittens, Emmett, clouds, those things were all cute. Emmett wasn't beautiful, or gorgeous, like me. No. Never.

_Yes. Keep telling yourself that. _Good Rosalie frowned in my head.

Never mind you. I'm wet. In my favorite dress. I'm dirty, too. Maybe I can get Esme to help me with my nails later…but anyway! No one messes with me and gets away with it.

_You tell him, sweetie! _Bad Rosalie added.

Maybe I was glaring as I thought or something, but Emmett must have seen it, because he was hightailing it out of the water.

I followed him, and he was backing up to the trees. "Come now, Rosalie! Friends don't violently charge after other friends, do they? 'Cause…" Emmett babbled nervously.

"If it's like that then, _we aren't friends_. I'm going _to kill you_."

I blinked and Emmett was gone. I heard his footfalls on the brush, but I didn't see him.

"Ooh…" I said to myself. I wrung the bottom corner of my sundress, and what seemed like a gallon of water decanted out of the fibers.

_Don't worry, he won't get away. Trust me. _Vampire Rosalie assured.

"Didn't need you to tell me that." I said. I sprinted as fast as I could and then some, into the forest.

It occurred to me that he was heading in the opposite direction from where we came. I figured that once I got him, I'd drag him back to the house anyway. The thought of superiority pleased me. I happily loped through the wood, thinking of the great ideas I could just bother Emmett with. This side of the forest was thicker and bigger. It took me a good five minutes to hear Emmett.

"_Rosalie? Is that you?_" Emmett called from ahead. I stopped. He was wheezing, like when I…first found him.

"Er, Emmett?"

"Help me."

"What are you talk-" I began, but Emmett entered my field of vision.

Emmett had finally snapped the delicate wall that blocked the urge to ignore human blood. He lay curled on the ground, bloody, shaking, and sparkling gently in the moonlight. It was disgustingly beautiful.

"What've I done?" He said. I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or me. "How could I have done that?"

"Emmett, tell me what happened, okay?" I said. I sat next to him, ignoring the leaves and mud that would be stuck on my dress.

"I was running from you. I was running from you, and I caught the smell of them…I just couldn't stop myself!"

I nodded. "Have you done anything with the bodies?"

"…Yes."

"Where are they?"

Emmett gulped, then wheezed. "They're in a cave. A dark deep cave. I covered them with rocks." Well, he was quick about it.

"Okay. It's fine, babe."

"What? It's not fine, Rosalie! I killed them, the two of them, so fast! But…"

"It was wonderful, right, Emmett?" I whispered.

He whimpered, and then nodded. "It's perfectly natural, babe." I pulled him towards me. Emmett's arms whipped from his chest to around my waist.

The Insanities in my head were dead silent, leaving me to do this by myself.

I sighed, and patted the mess of curly hair on top of his head. It was quiet, but so noisy. The background noise of the trees, and the animals, and the waters around were suddenly deafening. Emmett became completely still, just holding onto me.

"Emmett?"

He didn't reply. "Emmett?" I repeated, touching his shoulder.

"So," It seemed that his voice lost its glimmer, now hard and slow. "If it's just a mess up, how come you don't?" He said, speaking into my belly.

I laughed, but cut it short. "Because, I'm good at this vampire thing by now."

"Did you _ever_ mess up?"

"…In this context, uh, not very…often." I said, and the vagueness of the sentence caught Emmett's curiosity again. He unclasped his firm grasp, and sat across from me.

You see, I've never messed up. I know that it'd crush his butterfly wing of a (not)soul if I said that to him. "What does that mean?" Emmett said, sitting cross-legged. He smiled weakly.

"Eh, it was a few people…because we all have those instincts, you know! Let's talk about something else, kid." I crushed that subject.

"Like what?"

"I don't know…" I trailed. Emmett shrugged, and looked up at something. I wasn't sure if it was the moon, just rising, or the trees, or nothing at all.

"The sparkle is different here." He finally said.

"What?"

"It's different at night than it is in the daytime. The daytime sparkle is _there_, you know? This one is subtler. Like moonlight compared to diamonds glittering."

"That makes sense."

The moon managed to rise, shoving its way past all of the thin night clouds. It let its light pour down on Emmett and I. Emmett glimmered in the shaft of moon glow, like stars, or a reflection on clear water.

I could see the shimmer of my arms in my peripheral vision. I knew I looked great. Emmett didn't know he looked great.

I could see the strong lines in his outstretched arms, holding him up, denoting his defined muscles. I could see every muscle on his upper body, to the tops of his, (what were they called? Oh, yeah.), sartorius'. Those disappeared into his striped trousers. I could just feel the kind of strength he possessed.

My words were spilling out of my mouth before I stopped them. "Emmett, you're really beautiful."

His face dropped any expression for about a second. Then the blood flushed his cheeks and he tried to murder his grin. "Uh, thanks Rosalie!"

_Way. To. Go. _Bad Rosalie returned.

_Way to go! _So did Good Rosalie.

_You know you got to keep your lips tighter than that, girl. Work on that. _Vampire Rosalie said, shaking her proverbial head.

I think I had this confused look. "Let's go home, kid. You need a shower."

He was shaking with happiness. "I guess I do, Rosalie." Emmett got up, and held a hand out. I gave him a 'I can get up myself' look. He shrugged and shoved his hand in his pocket.

We headed home, slow.

* * *

_Emmett_

We got back to the gigantic Cullen Mansion or whatever it was. I'm still giddy as we go into the house, but Rosalie is acting like she told me the weather back there.

"Oh my gosh! Emmett, what happened?" Esme leaped from her place near the radio to my side.

"Um," I felt a subtle slap to my arm. I tried, so hard, I tried to rip the grin off and replace it with a terrified grimace. Rosalie didn't meet my eyes as she retracted her arm.

I _must_ have looked bad. No shirt, Rosalie and I are both wet, I'm covered in blood, and Rosalie is covered in pondweeds and leaves.

I had gotten over the initial shock of killing a human after Rosalie talked me down.

"Uh, it got messy, and um, wet. It was…a…" I couldn't come up with anything honest with Esme's completely honest eyes staring at me.

"Emmett had an accident." Rosalie said, looking horribly worried.

"Oh, Emmett! It's okay, it's perfectly natural!" Esme wrapped her arm around me, despite the dirt and blood now smeared to her shirt. "Go take a bath, honey."

Only at this point does Edward bound into the large room. For a second he looked very confused, but my wandering thoughts must have gotten to him like brushfire.

He breathes this long heavy breath, not a sigh; it was all coming out of his nose.

"Hmm, I was going to take a bath." He said.

"Go ahead." Rosalie said.

"But I wanted the good bathroom…"

"Oh, hell no, this is not some _idiotic _plan to _steal _MY bathroom!"

"Well, you stole it, it's obviously MINE!"

Rosalie drew a ragged angry breath. "…_Emmett _needs it."

"It's not _about _Emmett! _It's about you, me, and _a bathroom!"

"You can go take a bath in the Atlantic, for all I care. All I'm saying is…"

Esme pursed her lips, and gave me a 'just go' nod.

I climbed up the stairs, and opened every door, trying to find Rosalie's bathroom. I found one, painted peachy-plum and it had various bottles saying French terms I barely understood, and a big mirror. It was obviously either Esme's or Rosalie's, and I think I found Esme's already. (Painted a pretty eggshell blue, with some shampoo on the counter, if you wanted to know.)

I walked in, shutting the door behind me. It smelled wonderful. I picked up an expensive looking glass bottle that said '_Fleur du Soleil_'.

I opened the bottle and sniffed it. "Ooh, lilac, jasmine, and rose." I closed it, done with tampering with Rosalie's things. I looked at myself in the mirror in the soft white light of the room.

So, what was SO great about this room, that Edward wanted it back from Rosalie?

I turned on the water, and waited for the bathtub to fill.

I saw a coat hook of coat hooks, holding several articles of clothing. A robe, a shirt, another robe, and a smooth, soft, short silky thing…I didn't want to touch the smooth soft short silky thing, because I knew Edward or Rosalie would burst in as soon as my fingers touched it.

The tub was at the necessary height, and I cut the water. I pulled off my remaining clothes and just sat in the water for a while. Most of the visible dirt and grime fell off of my body from the water, anyway. I was too tall for the tub, my knees having to bend, and tower out of the water.

I found a washcloth and a large, French looking bar of soap on the tray. As I was washing my arm, someone knocked on the door.

"Emmett?" A female voice asked. The door hid the name.

"Uh, yes?"

"It's Rosalie. Esme and Carlisle went clothes shopping earlier. They got you some clothes, so I'm here to give them to you."

As much as I wanted Rosalie to see me half-naked, that part of me died. "Why aren't Edward or Carlisle doing your job?"

"Carlisle is in his study,_ Il etudie._ Edward said that it wasn't his bathroom so he didn't have to do it. Jackass. Besides, toughen up." Rosalie opened the door without hesitation and had no expression.

She placed a neatly folded stack of clothing on the floor next to me, nodded sharply, and left.

Then I realized. Rosalie _bathes_ here! Oh my God. Oh my God!

My body did that giddy shaking thing that I couldn't control.

I bathed happily the rest of the time.

Once I finished my long bath, I pulled on the clothes that fit perfectly for once.

Hmm, I guess it was extreme vampire-y estimating skills.

I made sure nothing was broken, or spilled, or wet, because I knew that Rosalie would keelhaul me if I messed anything up in her sanctuary, (or whatever Rosalie thought it was in the bathroom).

I still had trouble with the whole, not sleeping deal. I just kind of fell across my bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was there to do? Naturally, I could bother Rosalie.

I found her in the living room, looking good and dry again. She switched her dress to a soft-looking blue dress and it seemed the most comfortable to wear of all of her dresses. She was collapsed on the couch, leaving no room. The anger was just radiating off in waves. It seemed that Edward and her had just finished quarrelling.

"Hi Rosalie."

Rosalie didn't remove her hand from her eyes, or move at all. "Hello, Emmett." She said, sweet and soft as usual.

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing, what do you want, kid?"

"Ah, nothing, Rosalie. Can I sit?"

Rosalie smiled softly. "No." She didn't make an effort to move. I grabbed her legs and placed them on my lap as I sat. "Hey!"

"You were in the way. I fixed the problem." I smiled.

Whatever blood Rosalie got during our hunt flushed to her face. "Fine. I'm not moving." She said defiantly.

"We can stay like this all night, I'm not going anywhere girl."

Rosalie scowled, but didn't move. "Don't try anything funny, kid." She said. The rule was upheld, as we listened to Esme's radio program and anything they played after that.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Well! Thanks for the faves, alerts, and two singular reviews! They are all appreciated…well not as much as the reviews, but I'm not going to be picky.

I hope no one thinks that Emmett and Rosalie are even close to being together. They still got a ways to go. We'll just say Rosalie's a confused little person right now.

Yeah, this one must have been LONG for you to read. I couldn't find a good place I wanted it to end. Honestly. But I'm having so much fun with this, so there'll be an update ASAP. My school's play Guys and Dolls (now being referred to as GND), has kept me at school late all week. So…Knowhumsaying?


	5. Makes Me Kind of Nervous To Say So

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* * *

_

(Think I'm in Love but it Makes Me Kind of Nervous to Say So)

* * *

_Rosalie_

Edward came down the stairs as the sun rose. He grinned at Emmett and I just sitting there.

"Oh, look at that! It's Rosalie and her man!"

"Shut up Edward. He wouldn't move."

"I have a name!" Emmett said.

"Whatever you say, Rosalie. We'll see who is whose man in the end, now won't we?"

"I'm right here." Emmett said.

"Oh yeah, Edward?"

"Yes, Rosalie."

"I hate you, Edward."

Edward pretended to cry. "Oh, my poor soul! Maybe I'll pull a Rosalie and cry in my bathroom!"

I clenched my jaw. I was about to mess him up, but Emmett suddenly grips my legs. "Rosalie, please don't start a fight." He turned to me and looked in my eyes. "You guys have had at least seven fights since I started living with you. It's really annoying," Emmett breathed. "For _me?_" His voice curled cutely at the end.

I made sure I didn't smile. "Fine, for you, boy."

"Ooh! Young _looooove!_ So _sweeeeet!_ Have fun, you devils! I'll get you when he's not here, Rosalie!" Edward said in a well-played falsetto. Edward twirled into the kitchen, throwing invisible glitter into the air.

Emmett's face lit up after Edward left the room. "An upgrade?"

"What?" I said.

"For the last five days, I was just 'kid.' But now I'm a 'boy.' It's sweet of you!" He said.

"That is a really redundant observation, Emmett. I have no respect indicator made out of three letter words, so it's a bit presumptuous for you to say a statement like that."

Emmett smiled slyly. "I read somewhere, that when people use real big words they're just hiding their true emotions."

"Oh, _really_?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, girl." He smiled and trailed a finger down my leg.

"Funny stuff." I warned.

Emmett smiled this different smile…it was…_sexier_? "I'm not laughing and neither are you."

I had to say, it was true as far as it went. I kept my frown; maybe it would hide the shiver going up my leg through my whole body. Emmett's hands were softer than one would imagine.

"Emmett, don't make me hurt you."

Emmett didn't find me scary at all. "Whatever you say! If I'm done toying with you, what shall we do today?"

"I was thinking of working on the car…"

"You work on cars? You guys _have _a car?" Emmett grinned, still trailing his finger.

"Well, yes. It's a hobby."

"A peculiar hobby for a woman, but you are a very peculiar person, Rosalie."

"So funny, Emmett."

"Well, I'll let you take care of it. I'll spend the day with Edward!" Emmett grinned.

"He'll love it." I said.

"Catch you later, Rosalie!" Emmett was off of the couch in a flash, letting my feet fall to the fabric.

Oh God. Did I like Emmett?

Emmett Cullen was the enemy.

_But you called him beautiful yesterday. _Vampire Rosalie said, a little confused.

I know that! Shut up!

_Rosalie! If you want to make V.R. and me happy, just stop fraternizing with the enemy, AKA Emmett._ Bad Rosalie suggested.

_Don't speak for me!_ Vampire Rosalie protested.

_Rosalie, just let him sweep you off your feet. I know Emmett's capable of it. You know you like him._ Good Rosalie advised.

Of course I do. He's like a brother to me. Or a cousin.

_No,_ Good Rosalie continued, _you _like_ like him_._ Like a boyfriend_.

How the hell would you even know?

_I'm you. The prettier, nicer, blonder version of you._ Good Rosalie said.

_Whoa! Stop right there. You know what men do to your soul. They crush it…did you just call me ugly, Good?_ Bad Rosalie interrupted.

I don't have a soul.

_That's not the point. Do not succumb to the subtly seductive powers of The Emmett. Do not._

The Emmett?

_Yes, The Emmett. Don't let him touch you, because you'll shiver with happiness. Don't let, oh lord, don't let him kiss you, or…just don't do it._

_The Emmett?_

_...The Emmett?_

_Yes, The Emmett._

Guys…what are you trying to prove?

_Look, girl, you really like him. Maybe you even love him. But you're too scared to admit it._

Guys…I think I'm siding with Good Rosalie.

Bad Rosalie hissed. _I'm defeated for now, eh? I'll be back._

Then it was truly quiet in my head.

…So, Bad Rosalie is gone?

_She needs to cool off. Let those thoughts be. We can focus on that _fine _vampire god_. Good Rosalie giggled.

_Don't worry; I'm still here, Rose. Your true, unbiased conscience. Let's go work on the Pierce, babe._ Vampire Rosalie assured.

* * *

_Emmett_

"Edward."

Edward kept reading his newspaper.

"Psst! Edward…"

Edward turned a page.

"Edwaaaaaard."

Edward said, "I'll bite for Epitaph. That horse likes mud and it rained in Buffalo yesterday."

"Edward."

"What the fuck do you want, Emmett?" Edward finally screamed, throwing the paper across the room. It hit the wall with the force of a dodge ball.

I cowered under the island.

"Want to do stuff together?"

"Uh, no." Edward said, getting up to retrieve his paper.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Edward said, then murmuring about Epitaph and Paul Revere. Racehorses?

"Really, really, sure?"

"Yes sir."

"Really, really, really…"

"Emmett, I am so sure that I do not want to spend my day with you, that I would rather stick pins under my fingernails and then put my hands in a bonfire than spend my day with you." Edward said, turning a page.

I frowned. It was quiet for three minutes. "So…you really, really, really…"

"Okay! I will do stuff with you! Please, just don't say 'really' or 'sure' for the rest of the day."

"What should we do, Edward?"

"Uh, I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" I said.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" Edward said.

"I don't know-"

"Okay, stop. Why don't we…read comic books?"

"I don't enjoy comic books."

"Fine, loser. What about playing a board game?" Edward suggested, folding the newspaper.

"Fine. We'll play board games."

"Great. Monopoly, then?"

"Okay."

Edward smiled. "I call the thimble piece."

"I wanted the top hat anyway!" I said.

"Into the living room we go, then?" It wasn't really giving me a choice, as Edward was out of the kitchen before the sentence was finished.

Rosalie had left, and the garage door was open, so I assumed she was in the garage.

Edward opened a chest and pulled a box out from several other things, and ceremonially blew the dust off. Edward declared himself banker and the game commenced.

Edward was easily losing somehow. I think he was being so cocky in his ability to gain property (which he was doing quite well) that he forgot that I was playing, and he kept landing on my spots.

"Emmett! When did you even get Boardwalk?"

"Uh, after you got Oriental Avenue and before you got Ventnor Avenue."

"You weren't supposed to tell me that!" Edward said, but nonetheless, he laughed. Once.

"Too late."

"Fine, here's your four hundred."

"Thank you, my good man!"

"Oh snap!"

"What."

"I'm down to three hundred dollars. I'm going to lose soon!"

"Oh, there's a shame. Such a shame." I shook my head, delighted at the fact that I could just win this yet.

"Ha! Connecticut Avenue! One-twenty! Cough up!"

"Oh man, I can just feel bankruptcy past all of my money!" I handed him his paper money, and rolled the die.

Snake eyes…and…

Edward looked up from the board. "Emmett?" The pause wasn't even as long as this sentence. "Do you like Rosalie?"

Uh, I love her with the intensity of a thousand suns!

"Uh, I guess."

Edward frowned. "Don't lie to me, do you really _love _that, that, that dragon of a person? Rosalie the fearsome serpent?"

Wait, how did...oh right, right.

"She's a serpent to you?"

Edward gave me this look. "Yes, she is definitely a serpent. Or a sea monster. Or… never mind. You seem to be smitten with her."

"What's there not to like? She's beautiful, she's sweet, she's wise…"

"That's all I needed. You're smitten, for sure."

"Why can't you just sift through my mind or something?"

"It's not like that, Emmett. You're thinking, right now at this moment, that you want to finish the game of Monopoly. Let's talk."

"I don't like the sound of this…"

"Too bad. Brother to brother." Edward smacked his chest. "Well, since it's so apparent that you love the blonde haired serpent, I'll just say one thing. Be very careful."

"Very careful?"

"Very, very careful. Be careful of what you say, and what you do, for she is one crazy woman."

"You would know."

"I _would_ know."

"Is that all, Edward?"

"Yes sir, now we can finish this game."

* * *

_Rosalie_

I had finished fixing our standard mode of transportation…

Well, actually, I didn't drive often, but it didn't matter.

…the LaSalle Convertible Coupe. I don't think it is the wisest idea to even own a convertible, but she was a beaut. The slick, silver paint glistening in the sun that pierced into the garage, the purr of the working engine, pure satisfaction in machine format. Although, she was nothing compared to…

The Pierce-Arrow! More specifically, the 1934 Pierce-Arrow 840A Coupe, with a wonderful sea green coat. Now, if the LaSalle was a beaut, the Pierce-Arrow was a goddess, or something. It was cute, to say the least.

I also had my eye on one of those DeSoto cars. They looked reliable. And the little hood ornament of Hernando DeSoto, so cute!

Cars were great things, you know. I sat on a bench we had convienently place in the garage.

My mind suddenly shifted into a daydream…

_It was windy and flat outside. There was tall grass everywhere and few trees, like a really big clearing. But it went for maybe two miles._

_And there was Emmett, standing on one of the few trees._

_"What's going on, girl?" He cheerfully smiled._

_"Uh, nothing. Where are we?" I asked._

_"Missouri. Why?"_

_"I thought that'd be an important detail, boy."_

_"I guess." He shrugged. I wasn't sure why Emmett was wearing a vest, shirt, tie, and slacks. It wasn't like him, being all outdoorsy._

_"Why are we here?"_

_"What do I look like, God, or something?" Emmett chuckled._

_"Sure, boy."_

_Emmett frowned, which in turn darkened his whole person greatly. "Rose…I'm just a kid to you, right?"_

_"You're so young, of course." I ignored the 'Rose' not 'Rosalie' thing._

_Emmett smiled; maybe the word was, 'darkly.' "Rose, I want to prove to you that I'm not a little boy. A real live vampire man."_

_"How do you propose to do that, Emmett?"_

_"If you come over here, I'll tell you."_

_My legs were drawn like magnets to Emmett. I was over to him within two seconds._

_His smile softened. "I love you." In my surprise, he tipped my chin up and kissed me. My knees buckled, and I grabbed onto him. Emmett smiled on my lips. "Can't hold yourself up?"_

"…Rosalie?"

Damn! Interrupted! Interception! Fumble, dropped the pass!

"Uh, what?" I snapped.

Emmett's head poked from the garage doorframe. "I went hunting with Edward, after we played Monopoly." Emmett paused, editing something. "We bonded. Male bonding!"

I was genuinely surprised. "Really, Emmett?"

"Yes. Did you know Edward likes comic books? Life is crazy!"

"Yeah, well…what did you need, boy?"

Emmett smiled at his name. "I wanted to go somewhere with you."

"Why?"

Emmett gave me a look. "Why _not_?"

"Fine. Let me change."

"Why are you going to change?"

"Because I'm leaving the house. This is my 'Fix the Cars' getup."

Emmett didn't want to hear anymore. "Okay, fine. I'll be waiting. Oh, and, wear something you won't mind getting dirty, because I don't want to hear it."

I passed him as I went into the house. "Don't take long." He said. "I'll come up there and _make_ you hurry if you don't." I didn't have to look to feel the smirk on his face.

"Sure you will."

I flew up the stairs and into my room. I picked a shirt and skirt theme.

"You're not going on a date or anything." I said to myself, I realized too late that talking to yourself brings the Insanities back.

_You might as well be! It's called 'dressing to impress.'_ Good Rosalie said.

_I_ _don't think Emmett really cares what you wear._ Vampire Rosalie said.

"It doesn't matter what I wear, I always look good." I murmured to myself.

_You have a point_ _there._ Good Rosalie agreed.

_Can't deny that logic._ Vampire Rosalie added.

I know.

Okay, go away, I'm going back downstairs.

_Fine._

_Fine._

It was quiet again.

I leaped down the stairs in three jumps.

Emmett grinned. "Okay, let's go!"

We left the house, and started walking.

"Where are we going?"

Emmett sucked some air. "We're just explorin'."

"Okay…"

Emmett stood a good six feet away from me, as if I would lash out and hit him. There was nothing wrong with space.

Words jumped out of my mouth again. "Emmett, we should talk."

"About what?"

"Me. And life."

"...Really?"

It was too late to take it back now. "Yes."

_Don't do it! Back up!_

Bad Rosalie returned.

_I agree. This could end horribly._ Vampire Rosalie warned.

_We're living with him for eternity; he needs to know sooner or later._ Good Rosalie said.

"Well?" I swore Emmett moved away more.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Thanks for reviews. And faves. And alerts. The whole shebang. Keep doing what you do!

Oh, uh, did I say, that there would be a long time before our featured couple gets together?

I lied.

I guess I like things to go fast! But that shouldn't be that much of a problem if it's a story about love, and that wonderful stuff. In my eyes at least… Well, that's okay, because I want to write right now. This chapter was like twenty pages on Word, so I chopped it in half. The other half'll be out soon. The reason why this chapter took so long: 9am to 3pm Saturday GND rehearsal. Wow, was it fun.


	6. As I Watch the Long Rains Fall

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* * *

_

(My Life Passes Vainly By/As I Watch the Long Rains Fall...)

* * *

_Rosalie_

"Before all of this vampire stuff ever happened…I lived in a place called Rochester. It's in New York."

Emmett nodded.

"It was a great place. My parents had raised me to be beautiful and polite. Like that was their goal in life, to get me married to a rich, beautiful man. I liked the idea too, personally, for a good time. This was two years ago.

I was, at the time of this story, in love and engaged to a man named Royce King II. He was a great fiancé, for sure, at least I thought. I, uh, had a friend when I was growing up. Her name was Vera, and to be completely honest, she wasn't the prettiest girl in town. But she had a sense of humor, so her and me still were friends. She'd gotten married and had a baby boy named Henry…"

"Henry?"

"Actually, that kid looked a bit like you."

"'That so? Funny how things work." Emmett clamped his mouth shut again.

"Yeah, anyway…I'd spent the day over at her house, and I'd gotten a funny feeling in the pit of my belly that the way Vera and her husband worked, it was different than the way Royce and I worked. The relationship wasn't the same. I dismissed it, and started home…"

This is where the thoughts became a little painful.

_A little? These are the worst memories you have in your whole existence, Rosalie._ It was Bad Rosalie, and I had never heard her speak this way. Bad Rosalie was usually sarcastic, and crazy, like Lady Macbeth. Now she sounded, so angry, more than I was. All of her diction, dripping with disdain.

"…and I ran into Royce, passing through High Falls… Things went downhill from there. He was just showing me off to his friends, like most guys do, but it was then I realized he was dead drunk. I became a bit worried, and I was right to be so. I was going to just let myself go, but then one of them seizes me by the arm…things became painful, and I was left for dead-"

"Rosalie, stop. I don't want to know any more of this."

"Emmett, it's my…" I let the sentence slip away. Emmett was shaking, but not in the same happy way as before.

Emmett stopped walking, nails digging into the bark of a tree.

"Er, Emmett…"

"How could _anyone_ do things like that to you? You're like a saint! I can't believe people! I can't believe_ them_! I've never been so angry with anyone I didn't know… Rosalie, you don't deserve this, not that guy, not his friends, not the mental scarring, not the sadness or the fear! I want to find this Royce guy and tear him to shreds!" Emmett snarled. He hit the thick tree in anger and it fell, snapping and hitting several other trees in the process.

I laughed. Right here, I laughed. It was funny. "Emmett, I _already_ killed the bastard."

And even now, Emmett got this look of embarrassment, right here. "Beat me to the punch, eh girl? …You're full of surprises."

"Thanks." I said dryly.

"Rosalie, now I want to hear the rest. Finish what you need to say."

"…Er, well. The last thing I saw was a pair of feet, attached to legs. I guess they were Carlisle's. And I'm angry, with Royce and Carlisle and my parents. Almost everyone I've ever met. I mean it's all partly their fault for putting me where I am today. Pretty, perfect, stuck like this, forever!"

Emmett looked slightly confused as we walked.

"Emmett, I envied Vera. Oh God, I hated her sometimes just for existing. She has everything I don't! A family, a child, love, stability…anything a person deserves, even a vampire."

Emmett shrugged. "I'm sorry Rose, but you can't have some of that stuff. I mean we're dead and all, but you'll get everything you can get, trust me. I guess you'll never take the whole 'vampire' thing in stride like me, but you're pretty well off. You're sweet, and you'll get love, and anything you can ever receive… "

Emmett swallowed.

"What're you saying, Confucius?"

"I'm just saying…you can get any man on the planet, you can own every piece of clothing in existence, and you can do almost anything you want to. So, I'd just deal with it, okay? And I'm sorry, but you'll never have kids. Ever. Not unless they ever come up with a vampire vaccine, or something… besides - you're not the only one who wants them, Rosalie." Emmett said, a little scornful, even.

He didn't say anything, and I could have just said something in reply, but I held my tongue.

"Rose, it was almost a life dream to have children of my own! It'll never happen now! I wanted to teach my boys how to keep themselves in the wilderness and teach my girls how to beat grown men at anything they wanted. I think I've even had dreams about her, my dream girl, and life would have been great, and we both would've died at a ripe old age."

"We both would have died, heh. That's usually a nightmare."

"I know, but it isn't _now_."

"I hate to point it out, but you sort of kind of have a point...but I'm not going to confess my love to you or anything." I scoffed.

"We're going to know each other, _forever_, girl. We should get it out of the way! A girl like you and a guy like me, in these circumstances, are going to be together in the end, anyway." Emmett grinned again, and a part of me melted.

I crossed my arms. "How would you know?"

* * *

_Emmett_

"I _just know_, can you accept that reason?"

Rosalie didn't respond, but we kept walking. "_Oh, of course Emmett, I am madly in love with you, take me right now, darling_!" I said out of the side of my mouth.

Rosalie gave me a side eye. "You're not going to leave me hanging, are you, after that hefty speech?" I frowned.

"I'm not that cruel." Rosalie said.

"Fine, do something for me, at least. Anything within reason."

"Okay. Anything within reason."

"Go swimming with me."

"That is not within reason."

"Swimming is _always_ within reason, Rosalie."

"No. I'm not swimming. I don't even have a bathing suit."

"Neither do I! Just wear what you're wearing. It's what I do."

Rosalie smiled, but remained defiant. "No."

"You promised. Please?"

I smiled the smile that made her eyes shine. "Fine!" Rosalie crumpled.

"Thank you, Rosalie! You're great."

"I know." She scowled.

I pulled my shirt off in one movement and began hurrying to the nearest water source.

"Hey Rosalie, how far away are we from the house?"

"Um, about three miles."

"How'd we get so far?"

"We're vampires, right?"

"Yes ma'am. Can we make it to my pond?"

"Yes, if we turn around."

"Then let's go!"

Once we got there, Rosalie seemed to become reluctant to jump into the water.

"Oh come on! You promised." I reminded, hanging my shirt up on a branch.

"So? Do I have to?"

"Yes! Do it for me…" I begged.

"Fine!" Rosalie took her heavy top shirt off, and stood very close to the water.

I jumped in first, trying my best to be obnoxious about it. "Hurry up, I want to explore the cavern!"

Rosalie's face lit up. "Really? I guess that's exciting, if that's the real reason why you wanted to go swimming."

"You have to show me it!" I whined.

"Fine!" She screeched. Rosalie gracefully sliced the water with a dive.

* * *

_Rosalie_

I opened my eyes under the water and I saw Emmett motioning to lead. I swam ahead, and down into the dark. A human probably couldn't safely get this far.

I knew that the cavern was a wonderful place, and I wanted to see Emmett's face once he saw it.

It was a good five minutes of swimming down to where it was dark, and the light above hardly penetrated the water. Then it was swimming upwards for another five minutes.

I reached the blue rock of the really big cavern and I pulled myself out of the water and stood.

Emmett emerged out of the water soon after I did, and his mouth dropped a little.

"It's beautiful in here!" Emmett exclaimed.

"I know."

Almost everything in the room was sparkling a shade of blue. The rock of the tall cavern was blue, the water was electric blue, and there was a blue light that I never had found the source of illuminating everything in the space. Emmett was covered in the blue light and so was I. Emmett looked good in blue. He sat down, cross-legged.

Emmett didn't say anything for a while. I sat next to him and trailed a finger down his arm.

"What are you doing?" He said, but he didn't look angry.

"I'm getting revenge for earlier."

"It's not revenge, I like it." Emmett grinned.

"Shut up."

"You're still touching me! I'm just that wonderful, right?"

"…whatever, Emmett." I said. I liked touching his bare skin, and feeling his strong muscles. So sue me!

"Rose?"

I held his whole arm now, leaning on it. "Yes?"

"Do you want to dance?"

I unlatched from Emmett's arm.

"There's no music…and I'm sure you can't dance."

Emmett grinned. "Maybe so, but if you say you will, it won't matter."

"Fine, we'll dance. If it makes you happy, we can dance."

"Yes!" Emmett clapped his hands like a toddler and stood up.

"All right, you're just lucky I was taught how to do this." I told Emmett where to hold, and how to move his feet.

"This is awesome!" Emmett said, trying to look concentrated.

"You're on my foot. Oh, now you're offbeat!"

"What beat? What the hell?"

"If we're dancing the waltz, then we have to follow a rhythm, which happens to be in ¾ time. So, I'm counting, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, in my head as we move. Watch, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. See, boy?"

"I guess I do…" Emmett murmured in the way that said, 'I haven't the slightest idea to what you're saying.'

"Okay, one, two, three. See how we just moved from there to here?" I said.

"Yeah, yeah, right, right! I get it now! Dancing is hard."

"Yes, it is."

And finally, he caught the beat, and we waltzed across the hard, cold, rock floor.

Once again, my body was doing stuff I didn't know. I must have been smiling. Emmett grins and says, "See, I know you wanted to dance. You don't regret it either! You're smiling."

"That doesn't mean anything, loser."

"Whatever you say, Rosalie."

I tried to kill my smile, destroy it, but Emmett catches my eyes, and I can't stop.

_Jesú! Frown. Frown. Right now, you wipe that giddy, lovesick grin from your pretty face. Do it now!_ Bad Rosalie screeched.

_Ignore her, Rosalie, dear. Just stare into those abnormally cherry eyes of his, that handsome devil. Don't you want to just take off all of your clothes and claim him?_ Good Rosalie said.

_…No._

_Not in a million years!_

No!

_Fine, it's a matter of opinion._ Good Rosalie pouted.

I focused on Emmett, and broke the eye contact we had. I stared at our hands, intertwined. It was a clash of _societies_, almost. My long, manicured nails next to Emmett's blunt, half-moon ones. Emmett's long, tough fingers, dry and hard…but in a good way, it made me imagine him shirtless, working in a field on a sunny day…and the knuckles were weathered with physical labor and simple indifference towards nail care. I simply couldn't find an abnormality, a roughness, or a blemish on my hands. So why did I enjoy looking at Emmett's? I didn't know the answer…

"Ah! _Rosalie_!" Emmett yelled, echoing in an accidental falsetto. Oh, damn!

In my pondering, I must have led Emmett towards the edge of the rock, for he was falling into the electric blue water. "Not again!" He wailed as he hit the water with an echoing spatter.

"Sorry, Emmett! I'll help you out!"

Emmett popped out of the bright blue smiling and wet again. "I'm fine! But you're going to pay for it!"

"Wha-" I began, but I feel an iron grip, Emmett's iron grip, latch onto my leg. Then he yanked, quite hard, and I lost my footing and hit the rock as he pulled me into the water.

"Emmett," I yelled. "You are so lucky we're creatures who can sustain blunt force trauma, because I hit my head on this rock, it's like diamond!" I said, bunching my words to a speed only a vampire could pick up so I could finish the sentence before my head hit the water.

I plunge into the water, and my hair levitates above my face. Emmett's hair lost its curliness and floated in the water. He grins, and swims out of my sight.

Jesú!

He's like a five year old, I swear to God.

So I give him what he wants, me following him.

It seems he decided to leave the cavern altogether…

_Damn! There go all the chances of a make out scene! _Good Rosalie cursed.

I'm ignoring you. Where was I? Yes, I was talking about Emmett.

For a thick, muscular man like Emmett, he was pretty fast, even for a vampire. I had to work at keeping up with his person, (which were only slight glimpses of his feet), as we swam and shimmied through the underwater rock.

I reached the opening to the pond and felt the force of the waterfall above me. I saw Emmett sitting in the middle of the lake, on the dirt floor, happy as a clam.

Emmett motioned to come over. I shook my head in a way that said, 'you're an idiot,' but I still decided to tickle his fancy.

I settled on the ground across from him, making sure I lost as much habitually withheld air as I could so I'd sink.

The afternoon sun shone through the water, to the deep parts where we were. Emmett seemed to pick the thought up, and looked in the direction of the sunbeam. He glimmered in a sort of translucent way, under the water.

Emmett noticed the sparkle on his body and laughed, his eyes crinkling at the ends.

_Oh, Sweet Abby, isn't he cute?_

You know, if you like him so much, you can marry him!

_We went over this already, Rosalie. I'm you. So it's almost impossible to make an insult without insulting yourself. I'd love it if you married him! But, you're so damn stubborn that you won't even tell the fool you like him._

Damn Skippy, I won't.

_You're being a bit stubborn for logic's sake, dear. It's a bit obvious you have feelings, of any positive sort, for him. _Vampire Rosalie interrupted.

Stop siding with her! Stop siding with her right now!

_Relax, I'm not siding with anyone, darling. I'm telling you what's real._

_Yeah! Listen to Vampire, she's smart!_

_Uh, what are you saying there?_

_I'm saying you like Emmett too. It's like we're related!_

_Look, Rosalie, I don't know if you know, but we're not related. We are separate entities in this girl's mind. In fact, we're hardly real. I'm sure, unless she tells anyone, no one knows about us besides Rosalie._

_Well-_

Okay, shut up! Please, belt up!

_Sorry, we'll belt it._

_Yeah…_

Emmett caught my eye again, grinning. He waved. So here we sat, under fifteen feet of water, just sitting, just looking at each other.

Emmett stopped sparkling, as something covered the sun above. I decided to see if the cloud cover indicated rain. If it rained, we could go into town. I wasn't sure if I could go, because I'm usually the one on Emmett duty, and taking someone as capricious as him into town would be a foolish idea. I had to wonder why I'm always the one taking care of Emmett.

_Edward said that he's your problem._ Vampire Rosalie mentioned.

_We don't listen to Edward around here, girl. _Good Rosalie pointed out.

_But Edward's smart._

_Whose damn side are you on?_

_I told you, I don't HAVE a side._

_You know what-_

Shut up!

Edward doesn't need to even be mentioned right now.

_Well, logically, Emmett's probably 'your problem' because you saved him, and Edward doesn't want to do it. Not to mention that Carlisle's a busy man, and Esme is too busy mothering Edward and you. And what do you do for the family?_

_Uh, we look good?_

_Yes, that's a given, but still._

I don't want to talk about morals right now. So…stop.

It was quiet.

Emmett nodded up, presumably asking to finish our excursion. I nodded back, and began to butterfly towards the surface.

I emerged and frowned.

"Sweet Summer, what's so bad? I can see the frown from behind ya." Emmett asked from behind.

"Oh, I'm wet." I sighed.

"What's so bad about that?"

"You wouldn't understand, boy." I turned around and squeezed the water out of my hair.

"I would! There's nothing wrong with water, it's the staple of humanity!"

"We're not human, need I remind you?"

"So? I'm trying to make a point, little lady."

"Don't call me that."

"You know you like my names…"

I ignored Emmett, and focused on killing the smile that his mesmerizing baritone created.

I managed to get most of the water from my skirt and undershirt, and then I hear a sharp crack-boom-smash!

It began to rain. Just peachy.

_Ew, rain._

_Ugh, rain!_

_Rain. Of course!_

Uh, we didn't enjoy the rain around here. At least _being_ in it.

I felt the rain thrash my shoulders as it fell from the heavens.

"Ha! Rain! I love it!" Emmett spun around in the downpour, arms spread, eyes closed, mouth wide open with his tongue hanging out, like a golden retriever. I watched his shorts darken several shades in the rain and stick to his legs.

"Jesú…what's with you?" I murmured, feeling my hair dampen and stick to my back.

"What's with you? Ha, ha!" Emmett replied, still spinning.

"Forget you, I'm wet. I'm going home!" I sputtered past the fresh rainwater.

"No you're not!" Emmett cried, rushing towards me. He clasped his hands around my waist. "Yes, I am!" I yelled, trying to break his grasp. Damn, he was strong!

"You're not going anywhere, little lady!"

"Yes I am! Yes I am! Let me go this instant, Emmett!" If I weren't so angry, I'd shake in pleasure from Emmett's touch. His hands were strong and quite close...

_Stop _right _there! I know, if you go any farther, you will begin to subconsciously fantasize about Emmett. And do you know who has to see that? _Bad Rosalie wailed.

Me?

_No-_

_We do! _Good Rosalie squealed. _You have a lot of subconscious fantacies, actually. But Emmett's are, undeniably, the best. They're...mmm...__quite vivid. I, for one, thoroughly enjoy them... _Good Rosalie made this heavy, husky growl.

_Of course you do. _Bad Rosalie sounded a bit appalled.

_Why don't we just say, 'I really didn't know you were into that stuff.' _Vampire Rosalie said.

But I don't like Emmett! Not like that.

_Oh, honey, I'm sure it's normal! Vampires are very sexual creatures, so it makes sense that you think about potential, uh, mates in that kind of fashion. It's fine, darling._ Vampire Rosalie comforted. It didn't help.

And for the record, Emmett isn't even close to being 'a potential mate,' okay? He's FAR. Far from it.

_Does that whole, 'I don't like him' thing get harder to say everyday? _Good Rosalie added dryly.

I hate the human psyche. What's with me? I refocused.

Emmett's grin looked slightly stupid, as his curly hair covered his eyes. "No can do, little lady! I'm going to make ya enjoy the rain!"

"I will not enjoy the rain, it's wet, and cold, and it makes me all wet!"

"You said something about being wet twice."

"Shut up!"

"Come on now, little lady. Give it a chance! Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!" Emmett said. The rain was falling so hard now; I could see the rain bouncing off Emmett's shoulders. "Deh-gyaaah!" I screamed, as Emmett picked me up, still by the waist, and placed me on one side of his shoulders.

"Oh, hush! Do me another favor, girl. Just listen, and stuff."

I listened. I heard the rain hitting leaves, the rain hitting bark, the rain hitting water, the rain hitting grass, the rain hitting rock. It was kind of nice. The sounds mingled together and made- I don't know -something nice. Something real nice.

"It's wonderful, is it not? I love the rain."

"I guess."

"If you don't think it's the most beautiful, perfect sound in the world, listen some more. Okay?" Emmett's words trailed off into something about my voice being the most perfect sound, but this being a far second.

"Meh." I said, but I listened, perched on Emmett's broad shoulder. The rain was beating on everything. The water bubbling over the waterfall…the oddly comforting thunderclaps…a bird twittering in welcome of the rain…they also added to the sounds. Then I heard another bird chirp, and the first twittered back happily. It's nice to have someone to sing your song with, I presume.

I focused on these faraway birds, past the thunder and water. Their calls were warbled, flute-like. It was quite nice to hear. I think that they were a pair of Western Meadowlarks. Those were pretty birds.

I listened to their song, sweet and lovely in the pouring rain. Thunder boomed hard, and it silenced the birds for a few seconds. Undaunted, the two larks started their song again.

_La, fa, sol, sol, la, do, ti..._

I made sure I kept that song in my head. Maybe, if Edward was in a decent mood, I could get him to write the notes down.

"It's nice, Emmett. Are you happy?"

"If you mean it, I'm happy." Emmett simpered. "I just want you to relax, Rosalie. You're always a bit tense. Especially today, little lady. I know you just poured out all of your life's worst memories on some _boy_, but I hope that means we're friends now, Rosalie. Right? Because we both know that we both need friends. I could use someone like you."

"I could use someone like you too, boy. You're not so bad, Emmett." I admitted.

_Making progress! _Good Rosalie set up a high-five with Vampire Rosalie.

_Vampire, if you touch her hand, I'm disowning you as a comrade. _Bad Rosalie warned.

_Don't worry. _Vampire Rosalie put Good Rosalie's hand down.

"I knew I wasn't so bad, but I'm glad you agree." Emmett smiled, coy.

"Oh, shut up." But for once, I couldn't hide my smile.

"As you wish, little lady." Emmett whispered.

* * *

_Emmett_

"Emmett?" Rosalie asked. She leaned on my head, (and I think that it would hurt if under human circumstances, but...), and patted my hair.

"Yeah?"

"For being a dirty boy who swims in his day clothes, your hair smells like paradise."

_I'm such a dirty boy_. Ha, ha!

…_such a dirty boy._

"Gee, thanks Rosalie! I'm taking that as a compliment!"

"As you should, boy." Rosalie said, with that weird look. Where she has this genuine frown, but her eyes glimmer happily. "My God, I love your hair. What do you use?" Rosalie buried her nose into my hair, inhaling.

"I, uh, use that extra bottle of Carlisle's shampoo, actually." I admitted.

"Oh, maybe your scent is just mes...nice." She finished smelling. "This whole 'me sitting on your shoulder' thing doesn't hurt?"

"Nope, it's like holding a feather on my shoulder."

Thunder rumbled.

"Emmett, I enjoy friendship." It came out awkward. Sugared, but very awkward.

"Most people do." I said.

"No. Friendship with you, it's great. You understand me. You make sitting in a thunderstorm fun. I guess…it's just you I like. Yes, I like you, Emmett." Rosalie said, slow but decisive, like caramelized sugar drizzling slowly onto some dessert.

"We established this."

Rosalie hit my head.

"Ouch!"

"It didn't hurt, stupid." She said. "Do you want to go home, friend?" Rosalie laughed.

"Sure, sure." I unlatched my arm from Rosalie's legs, letting her go. I knew she wouldn't hurt herself.

Friends, it was a great place to be.

Rosalie stood next to me, looking up at me. Rosalie smiled.

I couldn't help but smile back, a wide grin that reached my eyes.

Another thunderclap ripped through the air.

Rosalie looked around for a second or two and then back to me, she nodded, and we began walking.

We didn't really run, but we really didn't walk. Somewhere in limbo, I guess.

Rosalie snatched her top shirt off a branch as we walked.

"Oh, it's wet!" She huffed. She held the dripping shirt in front of her.

"You're not quick to change, are you, little lady?"

"…Well, it's my favorite shirt."

"Everything you own is your favorite!"

"So?"

"You've got a long way to un-tenseness, Rosalie, yes you do." Rosalie hit me again, harder this time.

"It didn't hurt, but it does help the anger," Rosalie sighed. She punched me in the arm, with force. "Yes it does."

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Oh my God, this chapter can be described with two words:

Extreme Editing!

I had to revamp this chapter like, um, seven times. Seriously. Editing sucks. Oh sob, oh cry! I also noticed that this is like, 5,217 words, which is cool for me and maybe you. I dunno if you guys like reading long chapters, but I do! So, sorry if you like easy reading.

But once again, thanks for reviews, and faves, and alerts. You know what I'm saying. Also, I can't wait to work on the next chapter 'cause, stuff's gonna go down? Heh, heh, yo! (Crosses arms in slightly rap-video-esque fashion) Uh...review?


	7. So I Can Breathe You In, Hold You In

_

* * *

_

(Breathe Out; so I Can Breathe you In, Hold You In)

* * *

_Rosalie_

Being friends is a very delicate but very satisfying occupation.

It is slightly obvious that there are certain moments that I wouldn't deem 'friendly.' It doesn't matter if you took that in the context of 'hostility' or 'more-than-friendship,' because it's been both. I've cut it down to two easy-to-grasp sentences to explain my predicament.

One, 'Emmett Cullen is one sexy bastard.' And two, 'Emmett Cullen is the most annoying charlatan I've ever met.'

I am not quite sure what I should do. Option one, AKA, 'suddenly regain intense hatred for Emmett,' but I assume that that option would backfire in several ways. Exhibit A, Carlisle would get on my case, he would mercilessly dog me for DAYS about it, taunt me with biting remarks, and the worst thing is that he'd do it _nicely_. And I'd disintegrate too; because Carlisle is one man I never say 'no' to. Does anyone? No one can resist Carlisle.

Exhibit B, if I were to hold up my defenses, Carlisle would surely send in the reinforcements, Esme. Esme is just like Carlisle, only feminine, and she can talk about love. Which is a LOT worse. I'd SURELY go down here.

Exhibit C, the combined forces of Emmett and Edward. Annoyingness, suavity, coolness, hotness, and the unabashedly forward occasional advances of Emmett…oh yeah, did I mention the suavity? Both of them, they have that smooth guy thing. It angers me to no end! So…option one is a fail.

Option two, AKA, 'try and be something more with Emmett.'

Heh, heh. You know, the phrase 'something more' is tossed around these days. I mean it. I could imagine us on a honeymoon, but hell, I can imagine myself on a honeymoon with _Edward. _Oh, God no.

_Need some help? Shall I replay today's latest fantasy? _Good Rosalie cried.

NO!

_Okay!_

The thoughts berated my conscious like hail. Emmett and I, staring into each other's eyes like no one else exists. Emmett in all white, me in all white, holding hands. So happy together.

Color equilibrium? _So_ there!

Emmett and I, still clad in white, falling onto an all black bed together…_Niiiiiice. _

Please stop this!

_But it was just getting good! _Good Rosalie whined.

When you say that, it means I need to stop.

Get out of here!

It was quiet.

But seriously, I can see us…little demons in their own little demon world, I presume. It was looking like an alright idea…

Okay, Rosalie, don't freak out, you just might like Emmett in that kind of way. No big deal. It's a microscopic deal! Yeah, yeah!

It's been a while now. About four weeks since I've officially saved Emmett. Time flies when you're having intense internal conflict! Yay!

As I mentioned earlier, being friendly is a delicate flower. Our flower is hanging onto life by a petal. With the constant intense stares, punches, touches, pressure points, awkward hugs, each one is a gunshot to our humble flower of friendship.

Emmett and I –frankly- are not supposed to work. He is a polar opposite. We are contrary. I am inimical.

Frankly, I didn't know how long our little flower called Friendship, was going to hold.

I'm just thinking like this in my room, for a time now. I've been in my room all day. No confrontation with anyone all day. Not Esme, not Edward, not Carlisle, and definitely not Emmett. I don't know what he's been doing, actually. I hope it's nothing bad, because I'll get the rap for it.

Aw, lord. I was paranoid now; Emmett had taken down a few unlucky humans during his new life. Er, more or less seventeen! But anyway, no big, right?

He'd come in, scream, wail, and then either Esme or Carlisle, (or in a few unfortunate circumstances), the both of them, would burst in, comfort him, and send him upstairs to clean up. Edward and I weren't very good at the whole comforting thing, so we kind of hung back. The only time I've directly tried to deal with it was that one first time.

Edward interrupted my thoughts with a sharp rap to my door. Damn! How long had he just been standing out there listening? I sighed. "Come in."

Edward opened the door and poked his head in. "Carlisle and Esme are in town. They're shopping."

I glanced outside of my window. Cloudy as hell. Right. "Shopping for what?"

"I don't know - it's August. They didn't tell me."

"Uh, where's Emmett?"

"I believe he's in his room. What he's doing, I haven't a clue." Edward smiles, and shuts my door with a soft click. I'm pretty sure he knew where Emmett was and what he was doing. What an asshole.

Like always, I guess I would have to figure that out on my own. What was I going to do with the rest of my day, anyway?

I crept down to the end of the hall, where Emmett's room was. I placed my ear against the thin wooden door. I think I heard the lightest breathing. "Hey, Emmett?"

"Uh… hold on!" Emmett cried.

_

* * *

_

_Emmett_

"Hey, Emmett?"

I admit it, I was bored. I even tried sleeping. In the end, I had settled with some unabashed Rosalie fantasies. Come on; when you're just that close with a female…a girl as beautiful as Rosalie…how could you not? It's impossible.

Impossible. "Uh…hold on!" I burned the image of Rosalie's sharp, feminine nails digging into my back from my mind.

So, think, Emmett. In the next twelve seconds you must: make your bed, open the window, look cool, brush your hair, look cool, switch shirts, and greet Rosalie with a smooth remark. Let's go to work!

I started with the hardest one, making my bed, which I managed in three seconds. Then I opened the window, letting some heavy summer wind gust in the room. It was stuffy in here. One second. I went to my mirror and began to unsystematically brush my hair. It wasn't moving from its natural pose, curly and messy. I gave that up and frowned at my wasting of seconds. I snapped my fingers at the mirror and whispered. "Hello handsome," to myself. I really hope Rosalie didn't hear me.

I leaped to the door and opened it smoothly. "What's going on, Rosalie?" I did it the exact same way all McCartys did it. Smooth, and quiet. I'd seen my brothers do it all the time. Then I gave that inconspicuous head bob.

… _It's ten at night. My older brother Kenneth is letting his date Mabel go. He bobs his head inconspicuously. "Uh, Ken, I'm pretty sure that girls don't like that kind of stuff."_

"_How would you know, squirt?"_

"_I know stuff!"_

_Ken grinned, and then ignored me. "So, I'll see you later, Mabel. Heh, heh." Then he shut the door._

"_Emmett, if you ever talk to me during a date again, I will make sure you can't walk for days." Ken growled, in that now-non-threatening human growl. And he can do that not walking thing too. Scary. Good times…_

That was a random memory. I liked random memories.

I focused on Rosalie's amber eyes. I wonder when that would happen, my eyes changing into that pretty color instead of crimson.

"Oh, uh, I just wanted to see what you were doing. And to see that you're not off killing people." I wish I could say 'but she didn't say that last part,' but she did. It hurt a bit. Rosalie laughed at herself, beautiful, awkward, guffaws; I tried to join her but failed. She cut her laughing short and sauntered into my room.

"Your window is open," it was an observation, not a question, or a query.

"It's kind of stuffy." I admitted. _And I didn't want to make you too hot, little lady. _I wanted to say, but I didn't want to look like a sap.

"It's a bit stuffy."

Oh…Rosalie being Rosalie again. Uptight, and rude. Those were two words I'd use. Rosalie sniffed the air-distastefully. I guess I'd have to think of something to loosen her up.

I mean, I was completely in love with Rosalie, but she was such a _bitch _sometimes!

Bitchiness is worth it. So worth it.

"What happened to your hair?" She said. It was almost another observation, less a question, more a sentence. She pointed to my hair.

"What's wrong with it?" I defended.

"It's…bad-looking." She sighed, touching it.

"I really love _your _hair, Rosalie."

"As do I," she sighed again, thoroughly disappointed with my lack of beauty.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I said, folding my arms.

She made this gagging noise as she sat me down and kept inspecting my locks. "Do you wash this?" Rosalie murmured something like, 'gross!' after that.

"Yeah…"

"When was the last time?" Rosalie cried in horror.

"A while." I blurted. I tried to think about that. Uh…crap! Did wash my hair the first time I killed those humans?

No!

"How long is a while, baby?" She whispered sweetly into my ear. Her breath on my ear startled me.

"I don't think I have!" I blurted. Why did I say that? Rosalie…note to self, don't let Rosalie whisper things in your ear, because it makes you say stuff you didn't want to say.

"Jesú, babe. What's wrong with you? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical."

I didn't answer.

"I think you should go wash it." Rosalie suggested. It didn't have the slightest feeling of 'suggestion.' It was more of a command. Like, 'go wash your hair or I will NEVER talk to you again.'

"Use Edward's bathroom. You're too dirty and you leave rings on my tub. You're a very dirty boy." Rosalie laughed at herself again.

"But Edward will get angry…"

Rosalie gave me a 'do I look like I care?' look. "Okay! To Edward's bathroom I go." I got out of there. I'd only been allowed into Edward's bathroom twice before. It was pretty nondescript compared to the other rooms of the house. Brown, neutral walls, a small mirror, a rug.

There was a bottle of lone cologne on the counter, unused. I had to say, Edward smelled fine by himself. On the other side of the counter was an extra bar of soap. Edward didn't bother even having a tub. Just a shower.

I turned the water on, and realized I had no shampoo with me. That thought became trivial as I heard, "_Rosalie! _He's your man! Let him use your bathroom!"

"Belt it, Edward. Besides, he's way too dirty!"

"You would know!"

"_Excuse me?_"

"You heard me!"

"Fuck off, Edward!" Rosalie shrieked.

_Ooh._

I got in the shower before Edward could bust in and kill me. Shower was a safe.

I kind of stood in the shower, letting the water pummel my chest. I heard the fight subside, and a quiet knock on the door.

"Emmett?"

"Yes?"

"It's Rosalie. Here's some shampoo, okay?" At some point during that sentence, Rosalie entered and walked up to the shower. She put her dainty hand over the metal bar of the shower and dropped a bottle in, and I barely caught it. She was gone. I heard some loud pounding, and curses, and screaming. Oh, sweet siblings.

I used the shampoo, and I made sure I was sparkly from the extreme cleanliness. Satisfied, I finished, and got the hell out of Edward's bathroom.

I went back into my room, and shut the door.

It was like listening to your parents fight, except I wasn't related to either of them, and they weren't together. But it still gave me that weariness and it's-all-my-fault feeling.

Which it was – my entire fault, technically.

I focused on Rosalie's sweet scent, embedded in the fibers of my blanket. Thick, and warm, and pretty.

I sighed, and watched the clouds shuffle in the sky, scooted by the humid wind. Rain, maybe? That's probably why Esme and Carlisle left earlier. They said they were going to town. Here in _Washington. _

That was another thought. How far had Rosalie ran with two-hundred-pounds-or-however-much-I-actually-weight across her back. From Tennessee to Washington. I don't understand. Maybe bears caused some personal trauma in her childhood and she JUST had to save me. But SHE didn't even kill the bear. I did…

Something downstairs fell. Another bellow. Another thought. Rosalie and Edward's old-couple scuffles have been a wee bit more frequent lately.

For instance. Someone knocks a plate over. All of the sudden, Rosalie is incredibly uncoordinated. Edward couldn't do any better. Rosalie is a bitch. Edward is a bastard.

It makes NO sense.

The whole bathroom fiasco is like a volatile summer day. Ready to strike with disaster. I have to admit, it was kind of funny to watch. Two grown vampires fighting over a bathroom which (at least in Edward's part) they hardly use.

I don't know. What annoys me even more, is that Carlisle and Esme only do so much. I mentioned it to Carlisle once, and he says, "They've been doing that since they've ever met. Trust me, Emmett; if we could have some actual peace in this home, it would happen."

Esme just says, "You get used to it, Emmett." She kisses me on the cheek, all motherly.

If this were the McCarty home, there'd be a beating or two, and peace was restored. A bit violent, but...there are less Cullens than there were McCartys. You had to do something.

Carlisle and Esme know everything. In fact, that's all I've come up with. Vampires know everything. It gives me hope, if I stick around long enough, maybe I'll become a know-it-all too.

Not really.

Maybe I'd just slip out for a bit. I knew that Edward and Rosalie would hear me leave, so it was okay. It was a two-story leap from my window, but if I failed and tumbled out, I think I'd still be fine. I stood on the ledge and just kind of fell. I didn't know how to 'jump' anyway.

I was waiting to find my face planted in the dirt, but I'm just there, naturally graceful, all feline.

I felt the burning in my throat again, and I ignored it. You're a good vampire. Stop killing people. It's rude. Bad Emmett.

You've killed, what, twenty people? That's horrible!

_Seventeen_.

Oh, yeah, perfect vampire statistic skills.

Okay, seventeen. A bit better. But I still feel like a murderer.

I am sad. Yeah, right now, I am sad. The only thing that could make me happy is sunlight. I love the sunlight. I love the sparkling and I love the warmth. Heat warming this rock hard diamond shell of a skin.

I looked up waiting for God to let that welcome beam of sun to hit me.

God didn't show. Well, I just guess he was busy. Maybe he was ignoring me? Is it because I'm some sort of demon? Is that why you're not returning my calls? Oh, is it because of Rosalie? Because I'll tell you, those dreams are worth the clouds, God. I'm sorry. Is that why? Well.

Oh, God, why do you forsake me so?

You're civilized, Emmett. Just go into town, and uh, buy a shirt. A nice shirt. One that will make Rosalie throw herself onto me and drag to her room to have her way with me.

Do it! Let's go to work. In fact, it was easy to do. I just cut off the air supply. I wouldn't worry about looking human until I met one.

Carlisle and Esme told me that the next closest town was about a mile away, not on purpose, of course. I could hear the cars against the pavement, and the people talking about trivial things. Closer, closer.

I stumbled out of a forest onto a hill, overlooking a small little village. I brushed the dirt off my clothes and stumbled down the hill, trying to avoid attention. Surprisingly, I blended in. I was slightly tall, but that was something I couldn't change. Pretty girls in pretty dresses bustled around me, holding baskets and giving side eyes. Handsome men holding their girl's arm, giving me side eyes. I didn't do the same. I kept a smile on my face and my hands in my pockets.

There were small children smiling blithely, waving at me. And their mothers, who thought I looked like a mighty shady character, pulled them forward. I would wave back.

Another point to ponder. I was now sure that anyone under the age of four _and_ vampires knew everything. As if, little kids just gained the knowledge of the world when they enter it. The catch was that it disintegrated once they learn how to talk, and they had to learn it all over. I had a friend name Jack, I think. He had like three triplets for sisters and they were the devil, I swear. They had that LOOK. Like they knew stuff. Uh, Ette, Elle, and Emme. Those were their names. Weird, another fuzzy memory.

I passed another little girl, who was maybe four. She grinned this grin and showed off her missing teeth. I bet, I bet, she could tug on her mother's dress and scream, "Mama, that man's a vampire, giggle, giggle." She could, she had that scheming look you see on criminals, or police officers, or salesmen. Besides, you can't trust a four-year-old. Everyone knows that.

I picked up the pace, trying to look natural. I hadn't taken a breath since I came in, and the theory was working.

No breathing, no compelling human scents, no compelling human scents, no dead people.

Repeat the mantra.

And then I saw them. Carlisle's blonde hair, Esme's caramel locks framing her perma-motherly expression. They were talking. They were across the street.

"_Who's that tall man across the walk?" _Esme said. I could hear her faintly.

"_Haven't a clue…" _Carlisle craned his neck. "…_Why?"_

_"I don't know, honey…never mind…"_

Oh God! I turn to the nearest door, and almost ripping off its hinges. _A & F Outfitters,_ the sign said. Just my luck, clothing store. I shut the door slowly.

"Hi!" I hear behind me. It's a small, chirpy, redhead girl. She couldn't be over eleven.

"Hi." I whispered. "Uh, who're you?"

"Oh, out of town? I'm Lily-Anne. I'm the backbone of A and F! You're," Lily-Anne stuck her hand out expectantly.

"I'm Emmett." Lily-Anne's scent berated my nose. Innocent, daisies, dusty. I had no urge to consume her blood. Oh, damn, I'm breathing again. I ignored her hand as I looked outside. I could see Esme coming down the walkway. I dropped, and Esme didn't seem to notice. I was still worried though, because vampires never seem to notice anything.

"Who ARE you hiding from?" Lily-Anne asked. She put her hand down, disgusted by my apparent spunk.

"My mother." I said.

"Nice." Lily-Anne nodded. "Since I like you, I'll be nice. Do you need some clothes or not?"

"I do." I nodded.

"Good, good!" Lily-Anne murmured. "Feel free to look, and ignore the old man behind the counter, Emmett." She grinned.

"I'll be sure to."

Luckily for me, the store was pretty dark. I perused the racks of clothes. I fished in my pocket, and found enough money for maybe two shirts and a candy bar.

I picked up a gray vest with nifty bright blue buttons. I needed a vest. I don't know why, but any self-respecting man has a vest.

I respect myself.

I ditched the second shirt idea and just saved my money.

"Hey, cutie! Nice choice!" OH MY GOD. "Oh, Lily-Kate, it's you!" I smiled, forcibly.

She popped out of NOWHERE. Lily-whatever scowls. "It's Lily-Anne, you dunce." Lily-Anne roared.

_Ooooookay. _"Yeah, I'm going to check out now." I bolted to the counter.

"Eh…hello, son. Found everything good?" A short, pleasant old man with little hair and big glasses smiles toothlessly.

I looked behind me. "Er, yeah."

He leaned over and looked past me. "Yes, Lily-Anne? She's kind of abrasive. But I love her! A good, reliable, granddaughter, she is." Old Man smiles. I inhale. The cashier's scent is, I don't know, _old. _I didn't want a nice man like him dead anyway.

"Kids." I laugh and pay him.

"I know! Do you have any?" Old Man's face crinkles with pleasantness.

"Not yet." I grinned.

Not yet. Not ever. -Forced smile-

"Have a wonderful day, son! Come back soon!"

_Not with your devilkin_. Rude, rude, I know!

"Sure."

I crack the door open and slip into the crowd. Carlisle and Esme are long gone. Thank God.

I'm walking. I'm walking, and I feel proud as hell. I accidentally inhale, and a sweet…chocolate scent fills my nostrils.

Oh…chocolate blood?

I snap my head around and find the source of the scent. A pretty, tan, brunette woman, crossing the street, arm in arm with a tall, tan man. They're both tan, actually. Their scents mingle. The man's is more like coffee. Together, they are mocha. Ha.

I'll just have both of them. The burn in my throat is horrendous. Need the blood. Now. I cut across the street. Silently, stalking prey. No one notices the tall man. No one else mattered. I saw an alley coming up and I ran as fast as my vampire legs would take me, grabbed the woman's arm, who in turn seized her man's arm.

I was fast. I snatched the man, who was closer to escaping, and threw him to the end of the alley, and he hit the wall. He groaned, and said something in French…or maybe Spanish. Wasn't sure. Didn't care.

The girl was cowering in another corner of the alley. I had the oddest urge to make her squirm.

(I'm not REALLY like that, ladies! I'm nice! Really!)

In a thick accent, French, maybe Russian, she whimpers, "What are you going to do to me?"

I bent down to her face, millimeters away from her lips. I smiled, showing all of my teeth. "I'm going to kill you." I laughed.

Her pupils dilated. Before she could whimper in any more terror, I sunk my teeth into her neck. Her neck wasn't sturdy, even in human terms. Once the blood hit my lips, everything was a whirl. Like too many children after a broken piñata.

I wasn't neat, I wasn't precise. The blood was cascading down my chin onto my pretty green shirt. I sucked and I swallowed, and I couldn't stop. It was good. It was warm and sweet, better than any bear's blood.

She was dead, dry and dead.

The man, in a state of shock is still sitting there, like a deer. I cocked my head. "You're still here?" I laughed. "I guess I'm just lucky today."

He kind of ignored me. He was half looking at me in utter fear, and half of him is sad, and disbelieving of what happened.

"Oh! _Ma belle! Jocelyn? Ma belle!_" French, then. "_Tu, tu…tue elle!_"

I somehow had a feeling what he said. _You killed her. _

I leaped onto him and went straight for his neck. But somehow, I graze his ear. I quickly inspected it. Didn't break the skin. Did it? _Vive la France_ was a little too tan for me to tell in a dark alley on a cloudy day.

_Vive's _adrenaline kicks in, and he makes this angry _ha(!) _noise. Then he's –get this- trying to push me off. "_Meurtrier! Meurtrier! Quelqu'un! Aide!_" Then he spits in that French fashion, it sounds gross, but nothing comes out his mouth. He's screaming and kicking. I clamp my hand over his mouth.

"Shut the fuck up." I whisper, harshly, dangerously. He 'shuts the fuck up.' His eyes are livid and he's still beating on me. And then I feel this horrible pain in my side, was that a _lighter_? I let go, and _Vive's _lithe frame is out from under me and bolting for the walkway.

I growled. "No!" I leaped and grabbed his ankle, biting straight into his Achilles' tendon. It snaps roughly under his skin. Ooh. Might have hurt. _Vive _goes down to the concrete.

Then he says something any grown man in America, French-speaking or not, knows how to say. "Ah! Fuck!"

I taste his blood and chomp into the back of his neck, tasting his hot, foreign-seeming blood. But he's thin, and I get a bit of bone. I was about to finish him, for sure, and then he punches me. It didn't hurt at all, but if got me off of him.

For a skinny man with a broken Achilles' tendon and a possible spine injury, _Vive _is out of there like a cheetah.

"_Vous maudire! Demon! Canaille_!" He spits, and gets out of my peripheral.

Maybe I'd be _offended_ if I knew what you were _saying_. I look at Vive's dead girlfriend, Jocelyn, or whatever. Dead and all.

Oh shit! Rosalie is going to kill me. Sweet Summer. I pick her body up and leap over the brick wall at the end of the alley and hightailed it.

* * *

_Rosalie_

The fight is promptly ended as Carlisle and Esme returned.

"Where is Emmett?" They said.

"He's in his room." I assured.

"_Is_ he now?" Carlisle asked in that, 'I think you should check, before I kill you' voice.

Ohh…

I'm up the stairs right quick and I bust into Emmett's room. Empty. Window's open.

The whole group was behind me. Edward had this look. Like if we were ten, and Emmett was the class hamster, and Carlisle was the angry teacher, Edward would go, "_Ooooooh_!"

But he didn't. He's way too debonair for that.

"Damn." I mutter.

I can feel Emmett open the door. I beat everyone else to the punch. "_EMMETT_!"

"I think I may have messed up, again. Only worse." He whimpers. My heart melts and I can't yell anymore.

_It's fine. Everyone else still can_. Bad Rosalie snickered.

"Emmett," Carlisle bellows in his authoritative voice. Carlisle is down the stairs, and the rest of us follow. "What happened," It's not a question. Emmett's bloody and frightened. We all know what happened. "What did you do, 'only worse'?" Carlisle's voice shakes. Whether he's angry or horrified, I can't really tell.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Thanks SO much. Loving the reviews. And if you guys like the way I write, then it's cool. I personally LOVE this chapter. It's kind of violent…I'm worrying myself. So I'm gonna stop. So…no love in this chapter, but I needed this to happen before anyone confesses anything. Sorry, x Sacred Heart.

Everything happens for a reason!

I'm glad that the whole (review:faves:alerts) ratio is evening out. 11 reviews, 11 faves, 16 alerts. So, that's not that even, but trust me, it's making me a lot happier.


	8. It's the Bomb

_

* * *

_

(If this isn't Love, Then it's the Bomb That Will Bring Us Together)

* * *

_Rosalie_

"So, you're saying that you killed the woman…" Carlisle began.

"But the man got away?" Esme finished.

"Yeah…" Emmett touched the back of his head.

I was curious to see how this ended up, to see if he actually understood the implications of letting one get away. What surprised me is that Esme spoke next.

She grabs Emmett by the shoulders and speaks softly. "Emmett, honey, do you know what you've done?" Her eyes are panicked, and her voice is sharp, but hitting our ears like a summer wind. "Do you know what you've done? Do you?"

Emmett sobbed. "Maybe…"

"Then tell me what happened, son. What have you done?"

"Have I killed him?"

"No. If he got away, and you bit him, and any venom got into him…he's going to turn into a vampire."

Emmett didn't say anything for a while. No one did.

Edward spoke up, finally. "That's _bad._"

"How bad…?" Emmett looked up, and he wasn't even joking.

"How about this: if he remembers who you are, he might be out to _kill_ you. Kill _us_. It would be your entire fault, Emmett…but it's _just_ a possibility." Edward growled.

"Edward, that's enough!"

What scared me the most about that last statement is that _I _said it.

Edward smirked, but shut up.

People shouldn't mess with each other's friends. People should mess with _my_ friends. People shouldn't mess with _my_ Emmett.

Especially Edward.

_You're sounding like you're in love…_Bad Rosalie warned.

_I must agree…_Vampire Rosalie agreed.

Well, girls, _maybe_ I am.

They shut up.

It was quiet for a time. Outside and inside my head.

Carlisle, out of the five of us, was the only calm one. "Emmett, do you recall this character who got away?" He asked.

"Perfectly. He was tan, and had nice hair down to his shoulders. He was very foreign. Possibly French. Maybe Russian, if my French was off. He had big blue eyes, and no beard. No facial hair."

Carlisle swallowed. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Stuff in French. Or Russian. Like I said, I can't tell."

"Do you recall?"

"He said something like _vous maudire, and canaille_."

I speak French. "Curse you, scoundrel?"

"He also called me a demon." Emmett smiled.

"What a surprise," Edward twirled a finger in the air. "I always thought we were unicorns!"

"Edward!" Esme scolded.

He didn't say sorry.

"Emmett, focus. This could be important. Did this man look, I don't know…high society?"

"Pretty much."

"What was the girl's name, Emmett? Did you catch that?" Carlisle asked, still placid.

"Jocelyn."

"We need to leave here." Carlisle said, like it wasn't important.

"What? Who was it, Carlisle?" Esme asked.

"Pascal Charbonneau. He's the town's mogul. He was a gifted candle maker, quite gifted. And he had built an empire off of that gift. Everyone buys his candles. I believe his parents had an arranged marriage with some woman from France. But that girl you killed, the word around the hospital is that, Jocelyn was a Russian girl with whom he planned to elope with. But she's dead, so that's isn't going to work."

"So, we need to leave?" Edward said.

"Word will spread. Quickly. It would be foolish to stay at this point in time." Carlisle nodded.

"That's a yes." Edward replied. Edward threw his hands into the air. "I will be packing! I should get started!" Edward says, obnoxiously, and begins for the stairs. Carlisle appears in front of Edward, faster than I could pick up.

Carlisle looked slightly angry, but was calm. He whispered several things to Edward, and Edward looked angry, then embarrassed, then angry again. He looked away.

Carlisle says something else, and Edward sits back down.

"No one is packing until we fix this." Carlisle commanded.

"Does anyone have the slightest idea where we can go?" Edward said, reserved as usual again.

"We should stay in Washington, it's always good here. It's a very inconspicuous state." Esme supplies.

"I nominate the Adirondacks." I suggested.

"Where is that?" Everyone asked, except Carlisle.

"New York. It's up in the north part of the state. Rainy, cold, foggy, and if we put ourselves really in there, no one visits."

"A possibility."

"I'm suggesting Foxley River. It's in Prince Edward Island. Canada. It's really small. I have an aunt from there. The only catch is that it's pretty Irish so we might not fit in. But it's almost always foggy, snowing, or raining. Aunt Fidelma says it's a town people could get used to. I think she's dead though…" Emmett rambled.

"Another possibility. But the thing is, we have to find somewhere that isn't too big, or too small. If it's too big, it increases the chances of murders…" Carlisle glances, worried, at Emmett. "If it's too small, people will notice us."

"I'm sorry guys, this is all my fault!" Emmett cried, and threw his face into his hands.

Edward rolled his eyes, but they were soft, looking on.

Esme reaches out for Emmett, like a life preserver, but she stops and holds Carlisle's hand instead.

_Damn! A setup! _Vampire Rosalie snapped her fingers.

_This setup is _fine_._ Good Rosalie said. _No one do anything to Rosalie, okay? I will bludgeon you!_

_You've been hanging around me too long. _Bad Rosalie shook her head.

I approach Emmett slowly, as if he might engage that death hug again. I sit next to him, and look up at everyone else. They all nod towards the sad, stalwart man.

Their looks said, _'you are on your own!'_

Okay, I'll do it. I'll make you happy. I'll give you what you want.

I placed my hand on Emmett's shoulder. "Babe, don't worry. We are going to fix everything."

Emmett didn't take his head out of his hands, but I saw him blink. "You're just saying that to calm me down."

"_Is it working?_" But I didn't say that. "Emmett. We're all here for you. When you mess up, we'll always be here. We're going to leave, and we're going make everything better. Yeah?"

"Whatever."

"Okay. Emmett," I began, and dropped my voice to a low whisper. "Even if you think that the three of them don't care, I want you to know that I care about you, babe. I'm your friend, and it hurts when I see you down on yourself like this."

"Are you serious?"

"_Only certain parts_." But I didn't say that either. "Knowing you, you'd do the same for me, baby."

"You know me so well." Emmett laughed dryly and looked up at me. I notice his eyes are a darker shade of red.

"I do."

I catch Emmett's eye on accident, and he smiles.

Despite the bright burgundy, I find that I can get lost in Emmett's eyes. His eyes weren't very pretty; in fact they were quite abnormal. But he had permanent happiness, and sweet innocent charisma in his eyes, and it melted me to see them.

Yeah, the flower is hanging onto life. _Save me, Rosalie!_

It melts me to see his eyes. _I love him_, and his eyes, and now I'm sure of it. I…just didn't know how to do it or when I would tell him that…

I refocused on Emmett. "Look Emmett. Cheer up. I…don't like seeing you…in distress. So, buck up, boy."

Emmett tried frowning, but it bubbled into a sweet smile. "Fine. But I'm still worrying on the inside."

"I know how you feel." I laughed.

Carlisle snapped from what looked like a thinking session. "Everybody, relax. Why…don't we see what happens, and we will talk about it tomorrow. I will be on the phone." He said, and left the four of us in the living room.

I must tell Emmett. Have to. I have to tell him how I feel, and burn the flowers. How would I do it?

_

* * *

_

_Emmett_

I feel horrible.

Not _only _am I a murderer, a demon, and a ruthless _scoundrel_, I am also a corrupter. I understand that some vampires don't enjoy the life like I do, and that I've basically damned a French aristocrat.

If I had been, _that much sharper_, I would have just killed him. Now that I think about it –that's not much better. But, it sure doesn't annoy everyone as much. And we never had to _move_.

Rosalie's words are so meaningful, and sweet, and nice, and important…but I can't pick up the gravity of them as she speaks. "Ah, Rosalie?"

Rosalie looks up. "Yes?"

"You…don't hate me for this, right?"

"No. Edward is miffed, but none of us hate you." She said. Rosalie slips her arm into mine, and uses it to lean on.

Another point to ponder. Rosalie is surprisingly touchy-feely as a friend. It's confusing and complicated. I used to assume that when you nuzzle with someone of the opposite sex, you were obviously, _blatantly_, together. Sometimes, Rosalie looks like she is _that _close to kissing me, and other times she looks like we're just acquaintances.

I don't know…this is probably the first period in history where you can have a completely platonic relationship with a girl. A period of time where you didn't have to worry about which family got which tracts of land, you know? Right now we are living in the first periods of human existence where there were no pending marriage negotiations.

I never messed with that.

"You're sure?"

"Emmett, I know that everyone here is too nice on the inside to ever hate anyone, nonetheless you. You're impossible to dislike."

"Wait. What?"

Rosalie made a confused face. "What. What is it?"

"That last part. I'm impossible to dislike? Heh," I get a warm feeling. "Does that mean you never hate me?"

"Obviously." Rosalie said. I had a feeling that she didn't acknowledge the double meaning.

I let it go. I was too angry and confused to bother Rosalie. I enjoyed the warm feeling of Rosalie leaning, latched onto me. I smiled.

Edward found the time appropriate to let himself go, asking Esme for help, with what I didn't hear.

Alone.

"Did you know this Pascal fellow?" I asked.

"Twice. But the latest time, I was visiting Carlisle at the hospital, and I met this nice man in the hallway. He told me I looked nice, but," She paused to laugh wryly, "I knew that already. I thanked him, and asked for one of his candles. Special order. He promised he'd get it to me as soon as possible."

"When was this? What kind did you ask for?"

Rosalie swallowed. "Oh, it was called Artemis's Fireside. Two weeks ago."

"What?"

"Mr. Charbonneau liked to give his creations distinctive names. I swear, he's a candle god."

"What did it smell like?"

"Like standing on near a bonfire, smoke going in the opposite direction, under the stars, on a beach."

"How do you even turn that into a smell?"

"Ask Charbonneau. But he managed, he did! I have another one in my room. Uh, Summer's Spring."

"Once again, what?"

"Oh, _so inquisitive_. That one smells like getting out of a fresh river on a sunny day."

"Seriously?"

"I'll get it for you later."

"Rosalie?"

"Mm-hmm?" She nuzzled her chin into my arm. Do you see what I'm talking about?

…That was another cute Rosalie quirk.

She was like a cat.

Maybe a housecat. One of those know-it-all purebreds with the long luxurious fur, who didn't walk, they _strutted_. And the loving 'parents' of the cat would let her do what she pleases and feed her borderline human food. She was one of those cats that don't have the time to chase the rats.

She did most cat things. She hissed, ("How did you get elk blood on one of MY shirts!" Rosalie said, and then hissed at me) and she growled, ("Now, Emmett, promise me you'll keep your hair the way it is; decent. I don't want to see it dirty again." A small, playful growl escaped her lips as she decked my shoulder. That one hurt.), and she purred occasionally. I figure that it's part of her personality and part being able to do that because she's a vampire.

Rosalie enjoyed nuzzling too. I would call it a reflex. If something bad happens, or she's bored, I become her pillow. I wasn't complaining, _get it straight_, but it bothered me. It was a 'girlfriend' thing to nuzzle. Not a 'friend' thing. (Unless we were both girls, where the standards and rules of companionability change dramatically. But we're not.)

"When were you supposed to receive that candle?"

"Tomorrow." She sighs. "But, disappointment is okay, as long as none of us are dead."

"Do you think you'll get it?"

"No. Don't be stupid, Emmett." She makes this noise, which I categorize as a contented purr. "Oh, Emmett." She breathes, and keeps locked onto my arm.

That was a common way our conversations ended. 'Don't be stupid, Emmett.' I guess I was stupid a lot of the time.

But I was comforted for now, with my _friend_ attached to my arm, cute vampire purr and all.

…

The next day, things were fast.

Carlisle barrels into the kitchen, sufficiently startling Edward, Rosalie, Esme, and I.

"I've pulled some strings and cut some ropes, and I've figured out where we're going."

It's quiet. "Okay, I'll bite! Where!" Edward mutters sardonically.

"Tupper Lake, New York. Franklin County. I have a house and everything."

"How did you do it in one night?" I asked.

"Like I said, I cut some ropes and pulled some strings. Please don't worry about that, Emmett." Carlisle waves it off. I had no urge to push the envelope with him.

No one moves from his or her perch in the kitchen.

"Get packing! We leave in thirty minutes." Everyone begins moving. Carlisle speaks up again.

"I, uh, got a call last night." Everyone stops expectantly. "From Dr. Steele, who is close with Master Charbonneau. He says that he's gone missing. Which probably indicates that he's fled, instead of going to his home. Knowing Master Charbonneau's celebrity, the police will be on top alert, inspecting his home, his clothes, and his friends. That makes it of more urgency to leave before vampire rumors begin spreading around."

"Well, why would you keep us waiting?" Rosalie asks, and stalks out of the room, cat-like.

"She has a point." Edward shrugged, and left, presumably to pack his things.

I just said, "Yeah…" and left Carlisle and Esme.

I'm on the way to my room, and hear a whisper. "Emmett?" It's from Rosalie's room, the whisper.

Me?

Yes, you, stupid.

I'm glad I didn't say anything out loud.

Rosalie opens her door and is holding several things in her arm, including a thick candle. "Hello, babe."

"Hi, Rosalie." I let the full power of my smile unto her. Rosalie smiles her cat-like grin back, but it simmers down to a pull of the lips. "Emmett, I…" Rosalie coughs, and looks away. "I…forgot what I was going to say!" She stammers and dances down the stairs, grazing my face with a large tapestry that she held.

I squint at her retreating form.

I sigh, and continue to my room. The nosy nagging in my mind pined to hear Rosalie's unspoken information.

* * *

_Rosalie_

Crossing the country is long, boring, work. I realize that good old New York is far away, but _still._ I got some good out of it.

Carlisle and Esme decided to keep both of the cars, so we decided to split the weight. Emmett, Edward and I took the Pierce, and Carlisle and Esme took the LaSalle. Most of our things were crammed into the LaSalle, so the trunk and backseats were occupied fully.

We're in Missouri. No - above Missouri. Iowa.

It's dead sunny.

But we are- undeniably- in the middle of _nowhere_. So it's okay.

Currently, we're taking a break. I didn't think we needed a break at all, but Emmett convinced us to stop.

We met up with Carlisle and Esme, and they say that they want to get there before sunset. Okay.

They hand us a decent amount of emergency money.

"Okay, don't lollygag too long, we don't want any problems. Keep an eye on Emmett. Don't waste money, Rosalie. Love you!" Esme instructs, and kisses each of us, like sending kiddies off to summer camp.

"Right." I say. Kiss.

"Sure." Emmett says. Kiss.

"Of course." Edward says. Kiss.

It's oddly foreboding as the LaSalle roars loudly and pulls onto the main road, spitting rocks, red dust, and salty dirt into the air in a big smoke.

Alone! Alone in dangerous Iowa. Absolute horror!

"What do you want to do, guys?" Edward said, and rounded to the passenger side of the Pierce, opened the door and sat, legs sticking out of the side.

"I don't know, does anyone want ice cream?"

"Emmett, we don't eat like that, remember?" Edward sighed.

"Yeah – I know, but…it's summer. Ice cream is for summer."

"Even if we all wanted ice cream, do you _see_ an ice cream parlor anywhere?"

Emmett looked around. There's a house in the distance, like a mile's distance.

"Fine, bad idea." Emmett admits, folding his arms.

Edward pulled out a map. "According to the map, we're about three miles from a town called Northwood."

"Let's go there!" Emmett suggested.

"And what Emmett, show them our sparkly skin?" I said.

"We're obviously wearing enough clothes, I can't see a sparkle." Emmett defended. "Please guys?"

I glanced at my arm. Through the thick fibers, I can't see anything.

"You know what? Fine. I don't care." Edward raised his hands and went to the other side of the car, slipping into the driver's seat.

"Really? Shotgun!" Emmett cried, and dives into the Pierce.

"Guys! Watch it in there! I spent a lot of time on her!" I shriek.

Edward and Emmett respond with disconnected grunts.

"Men." I muttered. "I wanted shotgun!" I whine.

"But Emmett called it," Edward defended. "You can't argue with the law." Edward laughs at the absurdity of my statement.

I scowl and get in the backseat. "What 'law?'"

"Shotgun law!" They both chuckle, and high-five each other.

"What the hell is 'shotgun law'?"

"Uh, duh. Rosalie, if I want shotgun," Emmett begins. Edward gestures to the passenger seat, like a prize. "I just yell '_shotgun!' _And the seat is then mine. If you were to sit here after I called shotgun, we'd have a duel to the death. Obviously. Whoever wins that fight is the true call of the seat." He says 'true call of the seat' like 'president of the United States' or 'Grand Shahanshah of Iran.'

Both of them, now turned around at me, nod eerily, at the same time. "Where have you been, Rosalie? Under a rock?" Edward scoffed, and put the car into gear. Emmett agrees and then they start talking about male things I didn't care about.

I huff, and stare out the window, and we cruise into Northwood.

We enter the town on a really big hill. In fact, almost all of the immediate surrounding area is hilly. That is odd, because all of the Midwest we've seen has been dead flat.

It's a decent sized town; trees are pleasantly standing in the spaces between stores and houses. People are taking their time as they stroll down the sidewalk, reveling in the sun.

"Oh my God!" Emmett bounced in his seat.

"What?" Edward said, not really taking his eyes off of the road.

"We can rent bikes!" Emmett pointed to a large booth.

"Emmett, are you three? Tandem bicycling? Not to mention that there's three of us?" Edward said.

"Edward, why don't you…I don't know, brood, or something. I'll bike with Rosalie!" Emmett declared. Edward had this 'you're blowing me off for her?' face.

"I will?"

"If you'd like, I mean we don't have to, if you don't want to…"

"Well, okay-"

"Great!" Emmett grinned his dazzling smile. "Edward, drop us off, right here, right here!" He waves his hand in attempt to stop Edward.

Edward stopped and let us out. He points at us. "Okay, ground rules. Don't kill anyone, meet here at 4:30, don't scare the locals, and don't hurt yourselves. I will be in the bookstore." Edward pointed at a brick-red building, and then drove away.

I blinked, and Emmett's down the sidewalk, to a bright blue wooden stand.

* * *

_Emmett_

I stopped right in front of the stand. A teenage, maybe fifteen, girl is chewing bubble gum. Her arm props up her head. She has blazing red hair. She blows a bubble and pops it with her tongue expertly.

"Hi." She said, monotone.

"Hi!" I grinned at her.

She looked behind her in the large stand. A man is watching expectantly behind her.

Her face brightened up, disturbingly so. "Hi! Would _you _like to rent a _bicycle?_" She reminded me of that Lily-Anne girl. Only less spunky.

I shook it off.

"Yeah! Yeah!"

Rosalie waited behind me, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"That's great!" She grinned. She looked past me, and at Rosalie. She frowned (but I think that was her natural face alignment), and then plastered her grin on again. "Two seats or one seat?"

"Two!"

With another glance at the man in the back, who probably was her boss, she grins again. "Here are your keys, sir! The bike rack is out back. Yeah?" She smiled, and dropped a key into my hand.

A big blue tag was attached to it. The tag said, '6'

I thanked her and paid her.

Well, that was painful.

I turned to Rosalie. "Finally, boy. You keep me waiting." But she twitches her lips, and that told me that everything was all right.

"This is going to be great, little lady! I've always wanted to do this!"

"Stop calling me that," she pouted.

"You love it." I said, and unlocked the sixth bike from the rack.

"You wish I did." Rosalie laughed.

I patted the tandem bike, and looked at Rosalie. "Who's riding front?" I say.

"I'm not. If we fall, you'll be my pillow."

"Flattered." I get on and motion for Rosalie to follow suit. She gets on, rather clumsily for her standards, and gripped the bars. "Shall we go?"

"Of course!"

It goes well!

For a while.

"Emmett?" We're speedily cresting a tall hill.

"Yes, Rosalie?"

"I don't want to pedal anymore."

"We both have to pedal or the bike will fail." I explain.

Rosalie groaned. This is a hardship for her.

"Don't give up on me, little lady." I pleaded.

"What if I do?"

"Like I said, the bike will stop working. I guess the chain would catch." I shrugged.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Nervous swallow. "Really."

"Why don't we find out? It's hard to pedal in this long dress."

"Rosalie no-" I began to beseech, but my left foot jammed forward and the front section of the chain popped off. "Why? Why did you have to check?" I moaned. Rosalie didn't answer, but giggled, enjoying the speed.

We must be speeding down the hill at thirty miles per hour. I liked the wind in my face, but I was afraid, mostly for the poor bike. At the bottom of the hill is a brushy clearing, full of tall grass and wildflowers.

"Emmett, we're going to crash!"

"Really? Your sense of intuition is unrivaled!" I screamed, my feet still pedaling wildly, pulling no chain. I feel Rosalie's arms wrap around my chest.

I feel better, for a second. So much better.

"Brace for impact, boy!" She warned.

Oh, really?

I see a triangular rock jut out of the grass, calling for the bike. The bike obliges and it shortstops on the rock, sending us flying.

"Aaaaah!"

"Gaaaah!"

I hit the ground, and Rosalie hits the ground about a foot away from my face.

"What the hell, Rosalie?" I immediately ask.

"It's not like it matters, we're not hurt. That was fun!" She smiled, cutely. My defenses weaken, but I still managed.

"So?"

"So what?" Rosalie retorted, and rolled into my arms. I melt on the inside.

It's not like we haven't done it before. I've held, and hugged, so why does it feel so…un-platonic?

Rosalie's wavy hair is brushing all of my face, and I inhale her sweet scent. Flowers, woody, pretty. I sighed and then it hit me.

This wasn't really friendship. It was as close to _not_ being friends as possible. If we kissed, or something, it'd probably be official. We'd be official. That was a pleasant but unlikely thought.

"It's a pretty day outside." Rosalie mentioned. The sun shines wonderfully on us. My hands are sparkling.

"Like you, assuredly." I laugh.

"Haha, funny." Rosalie mutters. "But it's very nice. Very nice, Emmett." A summer breeze passed through the air, bringing scents of wildflowers, and trees, and humans who didn't matter now. I inhaled, and the breeze rounded back, bringing Rosalie's scent back. The wind is warm, and comfortable.

Rosalie turns out of my arms, onto her back, looking at the sky. "Um, Emmett?"

I stare at her. "Yes?"

Rosalie begins a sentence but stops it. She turned again, facing my direction, about a foot from my face. My lips tingle with hopeful anticipation. Then she grabbed me and kissed me.

It's quick, like a lip crash. Two-car pile up. It's unbelievably wonderful, too, but so quick. It's over.

"Emmett, we've known each other for a while. I think...that I love you! Isn't that funny?" Rosalie said, in this almost apologetic way. "But, I think that I'll be damned if you don't feel the same way, Emmett."

"Oh, God. Finally, little lady! I love you! I love you too, Rosalie Hale!" I cried. I feel so fucking happy. I could just die, I'm so damn happy.

"The beautiful people always come out good in the end, they do," Rosalie whispered, so quiet I could hardly hear it. Then she smiled, and noted my confused look. "Don't question my sanity, just kiss me." She shakes her head, still with the grin of the Cheshire Cat.

"Whatever you say, little lady." My hands are shaking as they reach for Rosalie's face, but they make it, and the confidence is gained. I feel a need, worse than ever before, for my angel. I wanted her, and I needed her, so much.

I touch my lips to hers, and try to seem debonair and safe. It's not working. _I_ was doing well, actually. It was Rosalie who was being quite dominant, not surprising. I crumble and let my lips do the work.

I was about to let it go, but Rosalie isn't having it. Okay, fine!

We kept it going, past a kiss, probably to the point of making out. I loved the way Rosalie tasted, the way her lips felt, how her tongue was exploring every part of my mouth, plus the pure joy I feel.

I wasn't really sure if anyone saw us, and I didn't care. The king of England could have been watching. I didn't care. All I ever wanted, all I ever needed, is here in my arms.

Rosalie was running her fingers through my hair, and was glad that I washed it lately. Must smell nice.

One of my hands was keeping the pressure on Rosalie's hip, so we touched there. The other was nesting itself in Rosalie's hair.

Well! Thank God for not breathing! Never been more thankful.

Rosalie pulled away, and I let her. Who was going to push it? I wasn't going to push the Rosalie envelope. She smiled. "So, we're not friends anymore, are we?"

"No, little lady. I wouldn't call it that."

Rosalie tried to frown. "I told you to stop calling me that," she said.

"Oh, give it up! You're my little lady and you always will be. Forever." I grinned, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Forever. Definitely, forever."

* * *

_Rosalie_

Finally! I've done it; I've found my true love. I've waited past death to find Emmett, whether I knew that before or not. He's mine now, and I love him.

_You are so perfect, babe! Executed flawlessly. I have to say, you haven't ever kissed anyone like that before. I'm so proud of you, Rosalie. _Good Rosalie gushed.

_I must commend you. You showed major chutzpah. Emmett's a good boy. Good for you. He's a great boy for you, actually. Protective, I'm sure. Ohh…we're doing well, now, Rosalie. Maybe we can finally…relax? _Vampire Rosalie added.

_Oh, come on!_

Relaxing? Is that what this feeling is?

_Rosalie, we haven't been relaxed for four years, honey. Trust me. _Vampire Rosalie said.

_Will anyone listen?_

_Yes, Bad Rosalie? What do you have to gripe about now? _Good Rosalie tapped her foot.

I won't hate Emmett, so you can stop if it's that.

_I…don't think I can approve until we see him in bed. _That was a surprising sentence. I felt weird hearing it. 'Emmett and I in bed.' _Please_. And then the unthinkable happened. Bad Rosalie laughed. It was dry, and as sardonic as possible, but she never laughed.

Ever.

Did you just laugh? You laughed, right?

_I…I think I did! _Bad Rosalie laughs again, as if opening the floodgates. Like it was the most hilarious thing she'd ever seen. Her laugh wasn't that happy-sounding, but for Bad, it was joyous and raucous laughter.

_Another weird thing. I agree with Bad! Haha, ha!_ Vampire Rosalie starts laughing too. Her pretty alto laugh rung beautifully in my head.

_Ah, harmony! I'd love to see Emmett in bed… _Good Rosalie added, and she begins to laugh. Sweet, high, soprano, giggles.

I tried to tune out the laughing in my head, and focused on Emmett.

"We should find the bike." I said.

"Sure, little lady." Emmett grinned, and I enjoyed looking at him even more.

We find the bike a good twenty yards away. Emmett walks with it as we find our way to the main road again.

"So, we're really together?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, we are."

"So I can do this?" Emmett kisses me, more than a peck, but quick enough for me to be surprised.

"Anytime, babe." I recovered, woozy from his kiss.

"God, I love you." He said, looking into my eyes again.

So…maybe this wasn't how it turned in my daydreams, but it was still one of the best moments of my life.

We return the bike, and enter the bookstore. Edward's curled in a chair in the back, reading something thick. He doesn't look up when we greet him.

"You two are early. Pity. Do you want to leave this second?" Edward said.

"We're okay. Take your time, Edward."

"Thanks." Edward kept reading.

I ended up reading about a fourth of The Taming of the Shrew before Edward decided it was 4:30.

"Shall we go?" Edward asked. Emmett is in tow with Edward.

We're in the car, and it's dead quiet. I'm driving. Edward called 'shotgun' and Emmett lived by 'shotgun law' so he courteously obliged to sitting in back.

Edward laughed. "So…you two are together."

Before either of us answer: "Finally. Hallelujah." Edward smiles at me, and he finally felt like an annoying brother, than an annoying jackass.

As I spot the Welcome to Illinois sign, I realize that Iowa will always have a place in my dead heart. Onward ho: To our new home, we go then.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Ah, God. I am so happy I finished this chapter. I had to listen to every upbeat Smiths and Tori Amos song I have. Plus a lot of other songs. A lot. Of songs. Okay? But, I'm happy, and I'd like you to review. Otherwise, I will complain in advance about chapter speed. Guys and Dolls is causing me to stay after school until five pm, like everyday. Other than that…I'm just lazy.

**Read: **Also: I know someone's gonna freak and say, 'But, _duuuude, _they NEVER moved to New York! FORSHAME, PHEONIX, FORSHAME!' but I know that the Cullens don't move to Forks until '36. It's only August of '35. So, I need stuff to happen before then SOOOOOO...((filler chapters ahoy!)) Please, and thank you!


	9. Syncronized Idiosyncracy

_

* * *

_

(This Synchronicity is Rather Idiosyncratic.)

* * *

_Emmett_

Unpacking everything you own is hard. Unpacking everything everyone else owns is hard. But, I managed to finish.

Everything is in its place, for once.

It's not like I did it all by myself, but still. It wasn't the most amusing idea, unpacking. I just wanted to be with Rosalie. But she's locked herself in her newly furnished room. I'll just figure out why.

I stood in front of Rosalie's nice door. My unsure fingers hovered above the metal doorknob.

She might get really angry if I bother her…

But I'd like to spend some time with her! I spent the first day unpacking, the second day I spent hunting gratuitously, and the third day I spent with Edward, which killed my chances of a sweet romantic moment. Well, we had some, but I hadn't really _kissed_ her since that day in Iowa…

The sweet juice of love sloshed in my belly, encouraging me to open her door.

I knocked.

"Rosalie?"

"Come in, babe." She knew it was me.

I cracked the door open, and I'm confused. It's the brightest, bluest, nicest, August morning and there are no lights in her room. Except for one candle.

Rosalie is sitting on the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed. She looked like some ancient revered goddess.

"What are you doing?"

"Relaxing," she said, and then sighed. "Sit." I opened the door all the way, and I sat near the door.

"Relaxing? But, you don't relax." I said, confused again.

"I had an epiphany, okay?"

"An epiphany?" The word was unfamiliar. I didn't use it often.

"Yes. Relaxing is…quite relaxing." Rosalie laughed at herself.

"So what did you want?" I said.

"I don't know, you were the one who knocked on my door, babe."

Right.

"Oh, I did want to show you something," Rosalie opened her eyes and picked up the candle. "Summer's Spring. Charbonneau's candle. It's wonderful."

I cautiously worked my hand towards the thick candle, flame dancing in the dim room. I decided that this would need two hands, and grabbed it.

The wax was periwinkle, or something like that, with swirls of jaunty yellow. Not like I would know the difference between periwinkle and any other blue...

The man put some effort into this. The crazy thing is that I respected that. Charbonneau probably made a ton of greenbacks this way.

A tiny pinprick of primal fear was poking me. Fire! Fire! I figured that if we died by fire, whether the dismemberment or not, it was something to fear. Fire, fire! I made sure not to touch the flame.

I pulled the candle closer to my face, and felt the sudden warmth morph onto my face. I smelled the scent of the wick burning away, of the scent of heat. Then, deeper, I picked up the scents of pennyroyal, pine, something like maple syrup, something mossy, and spring water. Rosalie and I, in the water, happy souls. Climbing out of the racing river, wet and glistening, drying off in the sun. Then the picture disappeared, separating into several scents…

I put the candle down, my nose all cold now. "Jesus, Rosalie. You were right!" I said, still unsure of the Vision Quest I just had, or whatever.

"You doubted me?"

"No. Trust me," I said, hands up in defense.

"Of course I do! But seriously, I believe that Charbonneau had the hots for me, unsurprisingly. He'd be visiting Steele, and I'd be visiting Carlisle, and we'd meet. Twice, but it seemed like more. I think he offered me candles to make me like him more. He'd butter me up with compliments and kiss my hand. He was a gentleman!" Rosalie hummed herself into a memory.

Kissed her hand. I could do better! Kissed her hand. Groveling at the feet of a goddess! Kissed her hand. I'm too bitter about this. It made me kind of angry. She was my girl, and even though I didn't know her at that point in time, I didn't really even want other males touching her. Breathing her air, even. Only I could do that.

I can't let a girl like Rosalie slip through my fingers. Could not. I couldn't function. Kissed her hand!

I crawled to Rosalie's side, and she had gone back to relaxing during my inward rambling. She let her hand fall to the side, but it hit my shoulder.

"Oh, you. When you'd get over here, sweetheart?" Rosalie asked, seeming a lot less alert when she was relaxing.

"Just now."

I just let her scent fill me; mix with the love slosh, the sweet pink waves roaring up inside me. I had a wave of wanting hit me. I grabbed Rosalie's hand, and kissed it.

One of her eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?"

I took my lips off the back of her hand. "Kissing your hand. Better than the candle god ever could."

Rosalie kept her eyes closed. "You have some skill, but you're distracting me," she giggled and tried to pull her hand away. I kept my hand locked around hers as she pulled. She murdered her smile. "Give me my hand back!"

"I don't think I will." I kissed her hand again, briefly, then I continued up her arm.

Rosalie opened both of her eyes and smiled. "You're really distracting," she complained.

"You don't mind." I said, stating a fact. I felt little ripples in her skin and I heard a subtle continuous purr. She was trying real hard to not like this. I reached her neck and planted short quick touches. I wanted to touch her sweet lips.

"I give up, boy." Rosalie pouted, using two fingers of her free hand to extinguish the candle.

"Good," I smiled.

* * *

_Rosalie_

Skill. Everyone respects skill. Emmett possessed skill. What wasn't there to like?

_You're being awful submissive. _Good Rosalie sang.

I'll let him do what he does. He's…good at this.

_Be careful, kid. _Bad Rosalie said.

Of course I will. What are you talking about?

I tuned her response out as I felt a shockwave of pleasure hit me. Emmett was getting less precise in his politeness. He left long kisses on my jawbone, growing ever more impatient.

He reached the side of my mouth. "This must be better than Pascal," he whispered. I felt a shiver as his breath tickled my lips.

I trailed a hand down his face. "Impossibly better than Pascal." I agreed.

Emmett seemed to pause, millimeters away from my face. "You're beautiful," he breathed.

My brain wanted to say my usual response to that. "I know."

My mouth really said, "Thanks."

And we kissed.

Wonderfully. Emmett had the skill. I don't think that I even kissed that well. He had the perfect combination of gentleness and typical male domination. I melted in his arms.

As great as it was, my mind wandered. A vampire thing. I was completely aware of Emmett, but my mind still wandered. Especially when you live with Tweedledee, Tweedledum, and Tweedledumber.

_He is really good at this. This love thing. Also, I'm not an_ Alice in Wonderland _character, jackass._ Vampire Rosalie is sufficiently surprised, minus the last comment.

_Where've you been, we all knew that. And, I heard that! I ain't Tweedlenothing! _Bad Rosalie scoffed.

Ain't isn't a word. You should get out of the habit of saying that.

_Oh, I'm so happy. Why are you two fighting? _Good Rosalie drawled.

I notice that whenever I'm touching Emmett like this, Good Rosalie goes into this happy, sunshiny trance. No fighting, no arguments, no opinionated comments. She's happier than me right now.

At some point I ended up on the ground under Emmett. For the moment, he was sufficiently pleased with my face, and was licking my neck.

Precise, but pleasantly wet. Skill. I could feel his venom on my neck, feeling colder than the rest of my skin.

The man had so much skill!

I was seriously losing focus on anything besides my love. It all felt so good.

"You're being very slow," I commented.

Emmett lifted his head from my neck. "Does that bother you?"

I frowned, and found one of my hands playing with one of Emmett's locks. "It does."

"Girls usually like slow, but for you I'll go as fast as you like…" The sentence disappeared into my neck as he buried his head there.

Slow.

So slow!

Wanted him. Now.

Feels so nice. Feels so good.

_Careful, honey!_

I wanted him, I did.

_Jesus, Rosalie. You've been his girlfriend for what, five days? Could you be any hastier? _Bad Rosalie warned.

_Look, baby. I know you are probably feeling very…like…you're probably feeling lots of emotions right now…and you should…you should…_ Vampire Rosalie trailed off, her voice of reason slipping away. _The boy is...harder to resist everyday..._

How the most feral part of me became my voice of reason, I'll never know.

…Another shiver spilt through me, and an uncontrolled moan slipped past my lips.

Slow!

So slow!

"Faster, Emmett!" I hissed. I felt my nails pierce the fabric of Emmett's shirt. I dragged my hands to the small of his back, causing a large rip. He hardly noticed.

The fool wouldn't need a shirt. I managed to hook my nail into the collar and yank down, causing a tear down the whole back. Then I grabbed the mangled piece of fabric and tossed it.

Emmett stopped. "Did you just rip my shirt? In half?"

"If you don't shut up and keep going, your pants are going next," I growled. Emmett grinned.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

I just kissed him again, hoping that would suffice. I let a hand wander to his chest, feeling the muscles. That never got old.

_As nice as aesthetics are, I want you to know, you're wandering into uncharted territories! The male vampire equals uncharted! Do I need to get this on a chalkboard for you?_ Bad Rosalie was screaming to get her point across.

_Keep going! That's the idea, honey! Ignore that blowhard!_ Vampire Rosalie encouraged. _You can trust me…I'm your voice of reason!_

_I'm not a blowhard! I'm the voice of reason; you're the fucking blowhard, Vampire!_ Bad Rosalie shrieked.

_I've been giving the good advice around here way before you! You're the one always imposing premeditated murder!_ Vampire Rosalie retorted.

_Hey, murder is a decent thought when you live with goddamn vampires! Murder isn't on the same level as love! Murder is easy and fixable and with slight emotional consequence!_ Bad Rosalie defended.

_Oh, would you guys stop fighting? It's not very nice!_ Good Rosalie giggled.

I tuned them out. I'll just ignore all of them.

Emmett and I...

Everything, everything was going fine. But now uncertainty spilled from my head to my toes. I feel Emmett's hand on the buttons of my dress.

One.

Two.

Fine, okay!

Three buttons down.

Pop! Four.

_No, no, no, no! Stop. Stop. Stop! Not like this! No, no, no, no! Stop. Stop. Stop! Going too far, Rosalie! No, no, no, no…_ Bad Rosalie babbled.

_Ignore her, ignore, ignore her! I am your voice of reason. Listen to me! Keep going, keep going. I couldn't lead you astray. I shan't lead you astray! Go, go, go…_ Vampire Rosalie prodded.

Good Rosalie? What happened to her?

_I think…I think you should…stop? I think you should keep going? Keep going where? Stop whom? No, yes, maybe?_ Good Rosalie seemed confused.

No help whatsoever.

_Listen. Listen to me, Hale. You don't know what you're doing. Listen to me, for once! This ain't gonna turn out well. I have a list of standard issue regrets, this is like, the only one we haven't done. I've let you kill people, I've let you be lazy, I've let you be prideful…but not this time… Lust-guided pre-marital sex? Please. We have_ necks to snap_. Where did hastiness get you last time, tell me, Rosalie?_ Bad Rosalie waited for my response.

…Here? Here, as this stupid soulless...creature. Hastiness got me here, hastiness made me this way, and I can't let hastiness do me like this!

The doubt and uncertainty battled with the wanting inside. Time was kind of running low on the whole internal debate thing.

_What's there to lose? _

_Her dignity!_

* * *

_Emmett_

Almost there, the point. I was _this close_. _That close_ to the moment my subconscious has been crying for since I've met the female subspecies.

And yet, I was fearful. I mean, one would think that Rosalie'd have a damaged soul when it came to love. She wasn't doing a good job showing it...

She did have a damaged soul! Why was I doing this?

Because you like it, and she likes it, and no one else is around. Carpe diem, tiger!

I did like it. It seemed wrong, though. This seems wrong. It is wrong, it's a sin. From what I know, sinning is fun.

What is this, Middle School? You're both adults, you can do what you want!

Shut up. Focus on the moment. Right now.

The pink slosh of love was burning red, roaring. Wanting. The red rage of lust, I guess. I'm so poetic.

Rosalie was my plaything at this point, no resistance…maybe she had something on her mind. I guess she could let her mind wander. My mind was. As I brushed the last button, she went rigid.

Code Red! Mission abort, retreat, retreat!

The next thing I knew, Rosalie was from out under me and to the far wall of her room, clawing at the Arc de Triomphe behind her. She hissed, only more like putting an angry cat into a lake instead of standard grade displeasure. Before my face hit the ground, I picked myself up and stood across the room from her.

We just stood -- angry, confused, and sounding feline -- for a very long time. She'd hiss, or growl, and I might have returned the favor, but other than that it was quiet in the dark room.

I looked at Rosalie's clock. 1:15. The sun was trying to filter through the curtains.

I think I was completely still in a way I hadn't been before. Nothing, I moved nothing. My heart wasn't beating, my chest wasn't heaving, my hands didn't twitch. On the other hand, Rosalie was animated -- shaking and mumbling and breathing heavily.

But after a time, immeasurable time, Rosalie's features softened. She opened the curtains, letting the harsh August sun brighten the room. Then she sat on her bed.

"Sorry, then." Rosalie said, touching her neck.

"Sorry, then." I mimicked. That was all I had, too.

"I guess I let you down?"

"No. It's fine, I was being pushy. My fault, all my fault." I left her in her room.

I entered the bright upstairs hallway, which boasted several windows all letting shafts of sunlight in. It was muted, fickle sunshine, as if there were clouds out there, about to storm.

Makes sense…

…This was horrible. I just wanted to talk!

That's what they all say though, right?

'I just wanted to talk, honey! Really!' Stupid random vampire emotions. What the hell?

I had to get this stupid fiasco off of my mind. Maybe I'd talk to someone else…

…

"So, what happened, Emmett?" Carlisle said, reluctantly closing a thick book. He held it in his lap. What was so great in really big books?

We were in Carlisle's study, a room that always has to be in his house. It wasn't finished. Only half of his books were shelved. The rest were either boxed or sitting haphazardly in piles and mounds, there were enough books to make a little book table which held more books.

I sat down on one of the chairs, and sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm all ears." Carlisle folded his hands and put them on the book.

I told him everything.

"Oh," he said, as if he might not really know what to say for one second. "I knew Rosalie liked you! What a liar," he ended the sentence with a hearty guffaw, or six. "That's why you're shirt's gone! Makes sense, makes sense!"

That doesn't help. I gave Carlisle this look of complete desperation.

"Ah, sorry. I see that you're really distressed. Let me ask you something, Emmett. What does a vampire value the most?" Carlisle leaned toward me.

"Uh, human blood?"

"Correct. Do you know the second thing they value the most?"

"Uh…no." I didn't.

"Despite the short length of time you and Rosalie have been dating, it seems that you probably felt very strong feelings while you were together. You see, physical love is the next best thing for a vampire. Although Rosalie's past is shaky in that department, she liked it as much as you did. You two both...wanted it, you guys just really didn't want it on the inside. You know? She probably became nervous, so much that she stopped you, forcibly. When it happens, it'll happen."

"Oh, okay. So what's your advice?"

"My actual advice? Just…go talk to her, and try to stay on her good side while you do it," Carlisle smiled that weird Father smile my dad had.

Oh, okay.

* * *

_Rosalie_

Okay, officially. I'm not listening to either of you ever again.

_Please, I got you out of there, sister. _Bad Rosalie scoffed.

What if…I didn't want him to stop? What if I wanted it right there?

_What if she did, Bad Rosalie?_ Vampire Rosalie spat.

_She didn't! She doesn't have to listen to us. She listened to_ me, Bad Rosalie said. You _listened to me._

I didn't listen to anybody! I just had an urge. To stop. Right then. Stop claiming this like it's a bet, or some stupid game! It's not. Ever since I met Emmett, stuff started mattering again. Nothing's a game anymore.

_Well, me being the unbiased one here, I'd say that if it weren't for Bad's mental prodding, you two would have probably had crazy sex right then. And I am not refusing! You...liked it, right? _Good Rosalie asked.

Well, it was amazing, but I didn't want it. Does that make sense?

_No, _Good Rosalie sighed. _Well_ _girls, there's nothing more we can do about this whole thing. We need to let it go._

_When was the last time we 'let it go'? Don't be stupid._ Bad Rosalie growled.

Shut up! Just shut up! I don't want to hear you jabber at me all day. Leave me alone, for God's sake!

One of them said something else, but I ignored it.

I went downstairs and met Edward, who was reading another stupid book. I didn't try to destroy my thoughts or anything. I was too pissed.

He cringed, "Jesus, tough day?"

I'm too chock full of emotion for witty comebacks. "Yeah, tough day."

Edward sighed. "Is the love thing like that for everyone, or just you guys? Either way, I hope you feel better. Fix the problem, whatever it is." He shook his head and kept reading.

Reassuring!

I sat down next to Edward on the sofa. I folded my hands across my face. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever get a girl, I hope it's not like this."

"I'm sure it won't be like this." Edward smiled and focused on reading.

I closed my eyes, and just sat. The closest thing I could get to sleep.

Seconds passed, and they are interrupted soon later.

"Rosalie." It's not Edward. The apparent uncertainty and smooth baritone alerted me.

I opened my eyes.

"Hi, Emmett."

"Hi. Uh. Can we go driving or something?"

"What?"

Emmett seemed to consider sitting, but decided against it. "Uh, you and I. Can we go for a drive? I'd like to see the actual Tupper Lake. The town's namesake itself! I thought it would be very nice."

Being I, my hands were naturally curved for the contours of a steering wheel. I balled my hand and then flexed my fingers. A drive would have been great, but did I want to go with Emmett? No, I'm angry! I'm all confused! At you, Emmett. Stupid new boyfriend...

"Fine. We can go."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this, Rosalie. You know, I thought you might hate me after earlier…"

"That's impossible…I can't hate you," I said, brushing his fingers with mine. The thing that made goosebumps appear on my skin is that I meant that.

But I understood the context of the favor. Emmett wanted to talk. Of course he did. Everyone just wants to talk to me! We could talk. We should. Clear this air.

Edward interrupted out moment, and I'm secretly glad he did. "Going out, lovebirds?"

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Done, finally. Oh my God, thanks for reviews, and faves, and alerts.

I hate the way this came out, and yet I love it. So is life. The whole kissing thing is like writing in French. I know French, but I couldn't write this whole story in French. I don't kiss people often(ever). In the words of Cyanide and Happiness, "We're rare because we don't breed." I honestly use what I read, and what I see on TV as kissing fodder. Heh-hmm. Not my forte. Which is bad for a couple of dudes like this. Too late now!

Glad I finished. I was actually going to make this longer...but...I didn't. I'm gonna drag the whole driving thing into another wonderful chapter.

My next goal is to write the next chapter off of Smashing Pumpkins songs! Woo-hoo! Review if you wanna!


	10. Radiation

_

* * *

_

(We Know of an Ancient Radiation that Haunts Dismembered Constellations)

* * *

_Rosalie_

"Going out." I repeated.

"Good, I won't have to deal with you losers," Edward cracked a crooked smile and opened his book. "See you later, kiddies."

"Yeah, whatever," I'm a bit more focused on the situation at hand instead of Edward's pleasantries. "Let's go, Emmett." Emmett nodded to Edward, formal male salutation. Then he followed me like a puppy.

I leave the house, and the sun hit me in the way I never got used to, all filtered and subtle.

Once we sat in the car, it got way quieter. I turned the ignition, put the car into gear and pulled out of the driveway. Emmett shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. He pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. Smart boy. I had gotten used to Emmett's rosy eyes so much that I forgot about that.

As we hit the winding dirt road that lead to the heart of Tupper Lake, I think that someone had to say something.

"So…" I said.

"So…" Emmett replied, looking at me. He caught my eyes through his sunglasses, stopping me from looking at the road. "Want to talk?"

No need to be coy. "It sounds like a good idea," I said, and glanced at the road. Like I needed to?

"Well?"

At least a minute passed.

"Well, I'm sorry, boy. For leading you on-"

"Okay, stop. One, don't be sorry. Don't you _ever _be sorry for something you didn't do. It was really my fault. And two, I'm happy you led me on. I...enjoyed it thoroughly. I know you'd be lying if you said you didn't too."

I didn't say anything. I tried to hide any emotions and consciously felt my feather foot turn to lead on the accelerator.

"You have a horrible poker face, did you know that?" Emmett grinned. "You were _so_ loving it." A glare ricocheted off his sunglasses onto my cheek. It sparkled, a lonely circle.

"Shut up." That was my only comeback.

"Not helping your case."

"You are giving yourself way too much credit, because…because…"

"Because Rosalie doesn't have a good reason?"

"Shut up!"

"Look, I know what happened back there was really confusing, and I know we're both sorry."

"But you said _not_ to be sorry."

"That's right, because you don't have to be, little lady. But you are anyway, and I can't do anything about it."

"You're a walking oxymoron, Emmett."

"Don't kill my moment, sister. I am sorry for making you angry and confused and whatever miscellaneous emotion I've stirred. I'm sorry you're sorry. You didn't _do _anything, little lady-"

"You kissed my hand."

"Yeah, I know but…once I did, I couldn't stop. Like if someone didn't pry me off of you, I'd be stuck on you. Never let go. I'd never stop."

"You _are_ stuck on me."

"Hah. You know what I mean. I just…yeah. Forgive my tortured soul, little lady."

I wanted to be angry. I wanted this to persist. But my mind wandered, the anger slipping away.

"You're forgiven." I scrunched my nose at my kindness. But maybe I could give him a bit of revenge? Maybe I could have a little fun? I had a plan. He'd be sorry, he would.

"Just like that? No begging?"

"Yes. Because, it _was_ your entire fault and you admitted it. I forgive you."

"You know, I sometimes think that you're stubborn around everyone but me." Emmett mused.

"What?"

"You're always bothering everyone about every little thing they do, but when I do something worse than them…I'm forgiven. Just like that."

"It's…because you're my guy. I love you." My voice quivered at the end.

"That's so sweet. Love you too."

"I'm trying my best to sound romantic. Cut me some slack, will you?" I rolled my eyes and looked out the windshield again. "Oh, we're here. You still want to go look at the lake, right?"

"Yeah I did! Let's go!"

Perfect.

* * *

_Emmett_

This all perplexed me. Hell yeah, on the outside I was forward and crazy! But here on the inside, where only Edward could reach, I was a confused little fool.

All I could feel was this mix of happiness, love, confusion, and excitement. I felt like one of those nervous dogs, twitching.

Rosalie parked the car on the side of Main Street. Main Street was, the _only_ street in Tupper Lake, so I guess it didn't matter.

"We're going to the lake from here." Rosalie said, and got out of the car.

Rosalie strutted ahead, and I caught up to her in four long strides.

And then she says the last thing I expected. "Emmett."

"Hmm?"

"Hold my hand." I reached for it, like catching a water snake or something. Careful, snakes are soulless creatures! My fingers brushed hers and I felt a little jolt. She made a quick intake of breath, then an almost silent purr.

"Don't be a coward, I don't bite. Much, haha." Rosalie laughed. I've heard that stupid line so many times before, but it sounded way more literal when you were Rosalie. A lot better too.

"Of course you don't." I grinned, and found her thumb with my hand. Then I felt for the other fingers. Finally, I managed to intertwine my fingers with hers. It seemed like my hand was carved out of a mold just to fit Rosalie's. So synchronized.

"That wasn't that bad, now was it babe?" Rosalie whispered, like the doctor to the child who just got a shot.

"I was just being lazy, Rosalie." I scoffed.

"_Okay_, baby." I got the strangest feeling she knew I was lying.

"Why do you want to hold my hand?" I asked, after walking for a few minutes. The silhouette of the small forest leading to the lakeshore emerged in the distance.

"Well, one, because I'm in love with you. Two, because I love the feeling I get when I touch you. And three, everyone else in this town holds hands. Lovesick bastards." Rosalie shrugged. She turned her nose up at a quaint human couple across the street.

"You don't say stuff like this often, do you?"

"Oh, God no. Only for you." Rosalie laughed dryly.

"I feel so special."

"Rightfully so."

Then a thought hit me.

I was itching for a swim. Wonder if my lady is up to it?

I grinned, and kept on walking. Once we got to the end of Main Street, we had to pass through several trees to get to anywhere remotely close to the lake.

After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the sign that said _Tupper Lake. _The lake was amazing. It was amazing. The sun was warm and shining on the land, and it made the whole place reflect on the otherwise pristine water. There was a boardwalk extending into the lake a good twenty feet. There were pondweeds and cattails 'round the edges, maybe hiding frogs or waterfowl.

"This is awesome!"

"No one says 'awesome,' Emmett." Rosalie pointed out.

"Fine, this is the most beautiful thing I've seen since my old pond." I altered.

No one else was here. Just us. I wonder how long that would last? I notice that the Cullen group as a whole had a way of attracting or scaring people. Either way was an extreme. It would really ruin this if someone else showed up, but I'd deal with that if it came. I inched towards the boardwalk, and Rosalie made a noise. It sounded like she was intrigued about something.

"Emmett, do you know how this place got its name?"

"No. Tickle my fancy and tell me how."

"The name Tupper is homage to a surveyor who tragically drowned fishing here."

That put a slight damper on my wanting to swim.

"What was his name?"

"I believe it was something Germanic. Like Hansel Tupper, or something."

"How do you know that?"

"I spent some time reading up on this town's history. Very interesting. But now that I think about it, the Pierce is sounding kind of funny. Maybe I could have looked at her then, but I didn't. I should check her out later."

I had always assumed that guys liked cars and stuff more than girls did. Maybe I was wrong.

"I'm just glad you haven't named her." I said, stepping onto the boardwalk.

"The Pierce? Who says I haven't?"

"God, I hope you haven't. So…Rosalie…"

"Hmm?"

"Who's up for a quick dip?" I grinned.

"Is it possible for you to be near a natural body of water without swimming in it?"

"Nope!" I assured.

"I'm not swimming, and you're not going back to the Pierce until you are completely dry. If I find a blade of pond grass or a drop of water in that car, I will personally set you on fire." Rosalie is suddenly _that _close to my face. Her upper lip curled, revealing a pretty pink lining of gums. Gums that sharp teeth were attached to. She growled.

"Don't worry. I value this life, little lady." Then I pecked her nose.

"Right," she nodded.

I took my shirt off, and hung it on a low branch. Then I took a roaring leap into the lake.

I heard a distinct hiss of discontentment behind me as I hit the cool water. Maybe I jumped with a bit too much effort?

I resurfaced and found Rosalie soaked on the boardwalk. Her dress was once again soaked, clinging to her stomach and her legs. Her eye shadow was running down her face, pretty purple tears. Ah God…

"Hi, little lady! What 'appened to you?"

"I'm wet."

"I thought we already agreed that water is your friend, eh?" I chuckled. Nervously, may I add.

"I'm wet. Emmett, you got me wet. You got me wet, and I specifically said that I didn't want to be wet," she said, and grudgingly pulled a tuft of wet blonde hair from her face.

I wonder if I might die today. Preposterous!

I think of the first line of defense. 'Not going back to the shore for as long as it takes.' Sounds like a plan!

"You okay?" I asked, whilst backstroking toward the middle of the lake.

The response was a loud-enough roar and then a splash.

I bobbed for a while, in the surf from Rosalie hitting the water. When the bobbing stopped for the most part, I see Rosalie coming for me. Except she looked beautiful still, coming for me, wet and livid, like God's angel herself. So beautiful. I finally got my legs to move and function, after staring at Rosalie. I began to swim for my not-life. I tried to copy the cool breaststroke my brothers always did, and thank God, it worked.

"When I get you," said Rosalie, grinning, "when I get you…"

What was that supposed to mean?

"I'm sorry!" I cried, paddling across the lake. It briefly occurred to me that we were crossing this gigantic lake that would take a human days to cross in a matter of minutes. That was a great feeling.

Rosalie is doing the most graceful front crawl possible, at like, fifty mph. If that's so, then I'm going like, fifty-two mph.

"I'm so sorry!" I screamed, and kept swimming.

"I'm going to get you! When I do…"

"I'll make sure to not cannonball in your presence ever again!"

"Too late!" She was getting a kick out of this. I spot the opposite shore of the lake, and I almost died. Wait. No. But anyway, I increased my speed, almost there. "I've got you here!"

I feel Rosalie's trademark vice grip close around my left ankle. I see the afternoon August sun turn blue-brown. I'm underwater.

I turned in the water, to face my pursuer. There she is, happy as a cupcake. Not angry-happy, just regular happy. I was confused again. She pulls me into a gentle hug, and doesn't move. I slipped my arms behind her and hugged back, still a bit befuddled.

When I re-emerged, Rosalie let go. "Now, you're forgiven, boy."

"What?"

"I wanted to make sure you knew not to mess with me. I knew you didn't mean to almost do what you did earlier but still…I knew you couldn't resist jumping in like a jackass, I know you too well. Even in only a month or two's time, I know you better than you know yourself, sweetheart," Rosalie explained patiently. "That and my eye shadow's ruined. That pissed me off too. I scared the living daylights out of you, but you said sorry enough times for me to believe you. My little scheme worked perfectly!"

"So…you did that to make a point?"

"In so many words, yes."

"Oh my God, never do that to me again," I said.

"Maybe," she shrugged, with a sly smile.

"You're full of surprises, little lady. Can we go home?"

Rosalie gave me a look. "Hell no, we're not even going _near _the Pierce until we're bone dry. Scheme or no scheme."

"That's going to take at least an hour if we're wearing the clothes, and I doubt you're going to take them off…"

Rosalie glared.

"…No, you're not, then. Well, what now?" I asked.

"Silly boy, we can always go hunting."

"But, I'll just end up wet _and_ bloody."

"I'll help you out, boy. Don't worry. Stick with me, baby."

* * *

_Rosalie_

I'm a genius. Haha. Smarts, beauty, and…more beauty!

We're on the other side of Tupper Lake now, in the town limits of Santa Clara. Santa Clara was a bit bigger than Tupper Lake, but it had a lot more forested areas surrounding it. I could already smell elk, probably grazing in a clearing somewhere.

"If we run for a while, we'll be dry and satisfied in no time."

"You make more sense everyday."

"Thanks."

Luckily for us, the path from the Santa Clara side of Tupper Lake is a precarious rocky path. As if we're closer to mountains in Santa Clara. It seemed as if the people in Santa Clara didn't care about this particular lake, didn't bother to smooth a path. That's understandable, because I knew there were tons of lakes in the Adirondacks. We walked, and the sun filtered through the trees and reflected off quartz-embedded rocks. It was very pretty. We didn't bother running yet, just casually waltzing around. There was no need to speed off yet.

After about ten minutes, we reached a fork in the path. One went downwards, and looked less rocky, smoother. The other one sharply turned up at an angle, at least 45 degrees, and was way more rock-strewn and less traveled.

There was a handy sign. One of those poles with the however-many pickets saying various places. The sign pointing down said, _Raquette Lake and Santa Clara, 1 mile. _The sign pointing up said, _Clipper Gap, ½ mile. _There was a third sign, pointing the way we came saying, _Tupper Lake, 1 mile. _

"We're going up," I said. "Less chance of people. I can't have you killing any more innocent humans, sweetheart." I pinched his cheek like my Grandma always did to me.

"That kind of stuff makes me all tingly and warm on the inside. Thanks," he frowned. Emmett resembled a Silverback gorilla when he frowned. Well, he was a pretty monkey-like guy overall. He was more like a spider monkey when he was happy.

"Shut up and smile." I commanded.

"Yes ma'am!" Just like that, he had his perpetual smile on again.

I started up the path and found it kind of hard to walk in my dress. It was nothing crazy, but I had to hold my skirt up to my thighs to walk.

"Rosalie, you look like a circus clown," Emmett said, stifling his laughter. "Maybe I could help you?"

"I'm fine." I was just happy I wore my hiking boots today.

"Are you?" Emmett folded his arms as he caught up to me.

"Yes, but I am done with this dress." I felt around for a weak spot, feeling the fibers of the cotton. Then I grabbed and ripped a large amount of fabric off. The dress is up to my knees now. My underskirt is a bit lower than that though.

"That must have fixed it."

A Mourning Dove cooed somewhere.

"Yeah, it did."

My throat is uncomfortably warm.

Emmett passed me and kept walking ahead. "Can we go? I'm so thirsty."

"We can go." I focus on what's going on outside of my airways. "Right now."

"Oh God, thank you!" With that, he bolted.

I ran after him, over boulders and past several streams, once I catch up, he waved. "Hi, little lady. Catch up?" He's focused on hunting, but was occasionally saying stuff to me.

"Hmm." I said, as a grunting kind of noise.

It seemed that Emmett was going to say something, but it was cut off. "I smell elk."

As did I. "And bear. If I'm correct."

"You're so sharp," he complemented.

I was about to say 'Thanks,' but my legs suddenly spring into action, in their own hunting world. The aforementioned elk from earlier is increasingly more appetizing as I got closer. Preparatory venom pooled in my mouth. Closer. Closer. So close.

I reached a clearing and spotted it - a nice, strong, buck. I forgot all about Emmett here. I felt my own leg muscles retract and flex under my skin as I leaped towards the deer. I seized its neck with my hands.

The deer shivered and made that funny yelp that only came from deer. My teeth sliced through the fur and the muscle, and just like that I felt the coppery stuff hit my throat, hot and refreshing. I feel a surge of strength wash through me, like a tidal wave, like a lightning strike.

I was doing well, considering I didn't want to ruin my dress. I was a controlled person. Even here. I'm good like that, and I couldn't let Emmett bring me down to his humble level with some similarity he pulled out of this hunting excursion. The deer bucked futilely in a last ditch effort to throw me. Then it was over, slowly. The lightning is still running in my veins. I'm so hyperaware right now.

If I'm so hyperaware, where is my man? Damn!

I groaned, and outlined my lips with a finger, removing any access blood. After giving myself an once-over, I tried to think of a way to find the boy. If I were Emmett, where would I be, what would I be doing, how loud would I be?

I tried to pick up his scent in the air. I can't forget it; it's been embedded in my head since I saved the fool. And it was underscored and italicized since that day in Iowa. It's like…take the natural male vampire smell, then bump it up a million levels. Then add musk. And throw in a pear. God, if I were human, I'd be downing pears by the basketful because of him.

I didn't want Emmett wandering down into Santa Clara, or even Tupper Lake, and busting some heads. I was paranoid; I couldn't take that crap again.

I didn't want to look for him. I wanted to run! I wanted to use this lightning! I was going to just speed off, and then I inhale a sharp scent. Smells like pear.

I whipped around to face Emmett. "Hello, little lady," he said. It seemed very smooth, but very happy. Two things that always clashed in my world, happiness and suavity…but of course, Emmett makes it work.

"Hey. Did you find something enjoyable out there?" I asked.

"I'm good," he coughed uncomfortably. "For now, at least. I'm…insatiable." Emmett laughed.

"Good for you, sweetheart. You're fine. You…haven't killed anyone since we moved! I'm proud of you, baby." I patted his cheek.

"…There'll be a time where I...won't kill people, right?"

"Oh! Oh _yeah! _Yeah! Of course! This is just a _phase_. You'll be as good as _moi _someday! You've got forever to sharpen up."

"I guess I believe you…"

"Of course you believe me!" I finished this almost one-sided conversation with a quick kiss.

* * *

_Emmett_

So we managed to just _jump _the lake so we wouldn't get wet all over again. It was an easy leap, and that surprised me. It actually seemed like Rosalie had to put more effort than me into that jump.

That's real funny, considering Rosalie is perfect at almost everything. Here's the almost, I guess.

The whole journey to the house is surprisingly uneventful. We just talked and occasionally joked. So we're back, and I'm happy.

No one's dead.

I still have my girl.

…Uh. No one's dead and I still have Rosalie. That is all I need to be happy. In retrospect, today was a success.

Maybe tomorrow will be a success too?

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Oh...this chapter was a combination of EXTREME polishing, EXTREME lack of decent music and iPod failures, EXTREME writer's block, EXTREME laziness, and EXTREME self-deprecation. Ah, the tribulations of a Fanfiction writer... Anyhoo, I'm sorry I don't reply to reviews. Does that make me a bad person? I guess I should. --self-deprecates--

So, this is exactly where I'm gonna throw in a timeskip. -uses outdated Naruto terms- I'm going to skip a month. Or three. Nothing important's gonna go down. Just love, and vampireness, and...uh...miscellaneous stuff people do? I don't know. Rosalie talking to herself? That's normal here. I'm making progress. But now that I did that, I have to go fill my favorites with stuff.

Review if it tickles your fancy!


	11. Happy New Year! :Part One:

_(Happy New Year!: But My Shots are Starting to Misfire, and Your Workmanship is Shoddy, Kid.)_

* * *

_Rosalie_

Christmas has passed.

Thank God. Honestly, I don't know why it matters. We're stuck here for-goddamn-ever and Emmett still cares about trivial holidays. I love him, and I know the human mindset is a hard one to get out of, but come on! It was Christmas that, and Snowflakes this.

I'd just shut him up with several offense tactics. I mean, guys like Emmett weren't hard to please or distract. Making out was always an option. Also, I suggested snowmen. God, you haven't lived until you see a snowman contest between two vampires. Good stuff.

But he managed to not get me anything this Christmas. And that's great. I didn't want anything.

Really!

No one should have got me anything. I don't need anything new.

Really.

People could at least wait until some other kind of day to give people random gifts.

Right?

Yeah.

I'm in the kitchen, building a mountain out of forks on the kitchen table. I wonder how big I could get it?

Three feet, two inches. Impressive.

_Things around these parts must be boring if forks give you amusement, sweetie. _Good Rosalie crooned.

Shut up. We've got a day and an hour or so until 1936. I'm perfectly peachy.

_More like 'pear-y,' haha. _

Pears. Right. Haha, funny, love.

_Some of us are trying to get some subconscious sleep, honey. Your horrible fruit jokes jarred me from my slumber._ Bad Rosalie groaned in protest.

_My jokes are so too funny!_

_Whatever, girl. I'm going back to bed. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone._

Yes ma'am.

The response is an offhand grunt, and Bad Rosalie is gone. Good Rosalie departed soon after.

I stacked another fork onto the fork structure. Three feet eight inches. Maybe four feet could happen.

Another fork. Alright! Four feet, and four inches. Working for five.

I smelled pears. I didn't turn around. "Good evening, Emmett."

Emmett pulled a chair and sat down. "Good evening, Rosalie."

"How's your day been, little lady?"

"I'm stacking forks on a table. Obviously, I'm a bit bored."

"Well sorry, I'm just being pleasant."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, it's because I'm nice." Emmett grinned a secretive grin.

"Is it now?" I murmured. I put another fork onto the figure.

"Can't I just be…" he sighed dramatically. "_Nice?_"

"No."

Emmett growled playfully. "Whatever. I'll just be mean then." He pulled a fork off of my fork structure.

"Hey, stop that!"

He snatched another fork.

"Emmett!"

He leaned in close; close enough to feel his breath on my ear. "What're you gonna do, little lady?" I shivered. Damn! I must stop shivering at stuff he does.

I had no witty comeback. "Stop touching my forks, ass."

Emmett tried to hold his about-to-kiss-me façade. He burst out laughing after trying to stifle it futilely.

"Stop," Laugh, laugh, laugh, "touching my," really big laugh, laugh, laugh, "forks? Sweet Summer!" Emmett cackled.

I jabbed one of the forks into Emmett's arm. The fork bent, but there were little dents in his arm where the prongs were.

"Ouch. Sorry, girl!"

I pouted. "Don't make fun of my forks, boy."

"That is a promise I can't make, little lady." Emmett grinned and put a fork back into the structure. I put the bent fork on there too.

We sat there for a immeasurable moment.

"So, what did you want, Emmett?"

"Oh, I wondered if anyone's gonna be doing anything for New Year's. I'm dubious, but thought I'd ask."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure Carlisle and Esme'll do something together. We however, won't be doing much. We as in you, Edward and I."

"Pity." The secretive smile crossed his face again briefly.

"Trust me, you're going to have lots and lots of New Years for a good long time," I laughed, poorly, somewhat fakely.

I looked at the grandfather clock in the living room. 11:35 PM.

"Too bad the lake froze over. I'm itching for a dip."

"Yeah. Definitely terrifying."

"I'm sorry your passion for aquatics doesn't burn as brightly as mine."

"Something's burning, boy. Always is." I kissed his forehead, which gave me a measly moment to inhale his scent. I got up and began packing the forks away.

Emmett decided to help. He picked up every fork that could fit between his two gigantic hands, which was every single one I missed, and put them into the drawer.

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome!" Emmett grabbed my hand and spun me into him professionally.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" I giggled.

"I decided to read a book. It really helps. Now where were we," then his voice grew huskier. "Before your unfortunate choice of words?"

It was funny how Emmett didn't need to bend or stretch to meet my height. I always thought I was a bit too tall…I guess that didn't matter now. I was just that much closer to being perfect. Perfect_er_.

I ruffled his hair. "Alright, you're so smooth, let me go."

"Oh, come on! I haven't even touched you in…three weeks!" With that, he bit my ear.

I shook him off and held him by the shoulders. "Three _days_, Emmett."

"That is a long time, little lady. Just a kiss?"

"Just." I pecked his lips.

"See? That's all I-" I cut him off with another kiss. Slower, better.

Consciously, I pushed Emmett out of the kitchen, over the coffee table to the couch. Thank God for multitasking. We never broke apart.

_Wha? Why do I feel so good right now? Oh…are you busy?_ Bad Rosalie woke up, and snorted.

Just a bit.

_Oh…damn…sorry. I'll just keep my pretty mouth shut._

_As will I – I promise._ Vampire Rosalie swore.

I'm listening to me, not…you guys.

_Focus, honey. Try not to look…dead!_ Good Rosalie giggled.

At this point, Emmett was under me on the couch, but still in complete control. We're still going at it, and I hear a discontented sigh.

"Romeo, Juliet? I'm right here." Edward said. A dull snapping noise indicated him closing his ever-present book. "Have some decency, will you?"

Neither of us bothered to acknowledge Edward's disgust.

And just to piss Edward off: "Oh, Emmett…"

"Jesus." Edward muttered. "You guys are unbelievable," he and his book departed, to find another nook to read in.

He's _so_ jealous. I can't blame him, who _doesn't_ want some of _this_?

_Monks who don't believe in the trivial pursuits of romantics? _Bad Rosalie piped up. _Ministers? Yeah, ministers too._

_Shut up and enjoy the Emmett!_ Vampire Rosalie snapped.

_Hey, I coined that term! Besides, I _am_ enjoying it. Believe me, sweetheart._

_…Monks? Where did you get that?_

_Oh, I read this book about those crazy Buddhist monks in India. I never thought people were that serious about that kind of stuff._ Bad Rosalie mused.

_Oh, they are, in several countries, including this one. Your lack of morals is amusing, Bad._

_Thanks, honey. I love you too._ Bad Rosalie kissed Vampire Rosalie on the cheek.

I tuned their inane chatter out. Those two had less focus on the whole love thing than Good Rosalie.

Emmett's hand brushed my thigh, and I felt a warm feeling crawl from my toes to the tips of my fingers.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"It's perfectly fine, boy." I whispered.

The almost uncontrollable feeling from that first time in August resurfaced, and my hands grew their on-and-off minds. They wandered; and I couldn't do anything about that. I was only focused in a hyperaware mix of horror and happiness, as my hands crawled from his face to his hip.

Emmett pulled his face away from my collarbone and sighed, "Rosalie? What're you doing? You're being reckless again."

"Reckless? What's reckless? I'm not being reckless, boy." I pouted and inched a hand to Emmett's belt buckle.

He gave me a look and returned my hand to my lap. "Ha, you're so not reckless. I…" He stopped mid-sentence. Then this thoughtful look crossed his face. "You know, I always thought you'd be the one holding me off."

Ugh…

I rolled off Emmett onto the couch. "You ruin everything, boy."

"Oh, please. I'm not like that, girl. And don't you dare go on some emotional rampage, because I'm being a good person. I promised, no matter how much you try otherwise, I would never have sex with you. Well, until we're married. Then, you can go crazy." Emmett grinned. He grabbed me by the shoulders so that I was leaning on him.

"You're so damn chivalrous!" I whined. "Such a good boy."

_But we_ like _chivalrous men!_

Not when they kiss like Emmett, we don't.

_Those are the hormones talking, sweetie._

How would you know?

Emmett made a dry laugh. "I'm busting my chops here, Rosalie. The ladies love chivalry! Do you not love chivalry?" He twirled some of my hair onto his finger.

I didn't answer.

"Oh, don't ruin the second-to-last day of 1935 for me. I want to spend my first new year of forever with you…and Edward, I guess…but mostly you. And you're murdering the enthusiasm!"

"You say that…as if there are actual plans for tomorrow. There aren't, Emmett. We are…we are probably going hunting or something. We are not doing anything special. We are aiming for normalcy here, not fantasticality. Okay?"

Emmett probably grinned here. "Aye, aye, your majesty."

I turned to face him. "I'm serious. It isn't that special. Please, babe?"

"Yes. I'm completely aware of the fact that tomorrow isn't 'sposed to be special. It will be as normal as ever. Normal like the sun rising. Pinky swear?" Emmett smirked and held his ring finger out.

I grabbed it with my ring finger. Emmett pecked me on the cheek and flew up the stairs, leaving me in the living room.

Wait. Aren't pinky swears for pinkies? That man better hope I'm out on the times, or he's stupid. If he's lying…I'll be very displeased...

Edward entered from another part of the house and sat down reading.

The grandfather clock boomed throughout the house, mellow and regal. Edward placed a bookmark in his book and snatched the radio from its place on the coffee table.

"Ah! It's the late night mystery hour."

I gave him a 'you-seriously-are-into-that-kind-of-stuff?' look. "Don't judge me," he said, and hugged the pleasant baritone voice closer to his chest. _'Hey, night owls, time for the late night crime hour! Tonight, you're gonna hear a story of a man and his dog…'_

The clock gonged for the last time.

Midnight.

* * *

_Emmett_

Morning! I turn the window and ripped the blinds from their…closed-ness. Pretty morning sunlight spilled from its fabric cage and bubbled onto my half-naked body and my whole room. The sun wasn't as harsh as usual; and it was usually real harsh during winter here.

I put on a shirt and spun around musically in the sun, crossing to the other side of my room. I tried to get a brush through my hair, and failed miserably. It was clean, anyway. I tossed the brush across the room and continued to get ready for today.

I, Emmett, had a plan -- for once. A very complicated plan that if botched, will cause veritable torture and mental damage, but if carried out properly will cause happiness and splendid-ness. And I'm all for splendid-ness.

I looked around surreptitiously, despite the fact that no one else was in my room. No one, just like I guessed. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk, pushed a number of things out of the way, revealing a blue box.

I knew keeping this thing on me at all times would pay off! Holding the worn blue box in my hand, I surveyed it. Where did I get this thing, anyway?

It was a random memory. I remember fiddling with it in my pocket, before the bear incident. I remember always having it. I remember having since I turned thirteen, found it at the bottom of the Mississippi. When Dad, Josephine, Ken, and I went to visit my sick aunt in Memphis, I went for a swim with Ken and he dared me…dared me to swim all the way to the bottom…

…I almost died, I turned dead purple in the face, but I grazed the bottom with my hand and picked up this shiny thing. A pretty necklace. I put it in a box…carried it with me everywhere…

Now I stand here with it in my hands. Finally have something to do with this girlie necklace. I finally have something so pretty to give someone so pretty. I got something.

Rosalie's going to be real angry if I give her this. She says she doesn't want anything. She knows she does, and she's just being a sourpuss about it.

I opened the box. It was a, correct me if I'm wrong, lapis lazuli raindrop. Had a rose gold chain, and the raindrop was encased in rose gold too. I had to wonder, who had this thing before me? How long had it been just sitting pretty at the bottom of the Mississippi? Do they want their necklace back? Was it special? Did the current carry it from another place, or did it just sink after it fell?

I knew it was cheesy, but I felt that giving Rosalie this necklace was so symbolic of us; I just couldn't hide it from her forever. Like, I _really, truly_, fell in love with Rosalie in the water. I made her happy in the rain. She found me after a swim, for God sakes! Although she said she loved me in…Iowa, devoid of water…that I can't change. And, that lovely day in August underwater…

Maybe I'd take a dip in the lake anyway…I'm strong enough to break the ice!

I'm off topic. I knew exactly how I'd pull this off. At midnight, I'd just pull it out of my pocket and say something sweet and smooth, and she'd clasp her hands together and cry something to the effect of,

_"Oh Emmett darling, you treat me so well! I love you, you big stud!"_

Then she'd kiss me.

Then I'd say, _"You know it, honey."_

And everything would be grand.

Grand as Mardi Gras!

I snapped out of my half-fantasy, still holding the box. I closed it, and put it in my pocket. Until midnight today (tomorrow?), I'd spend my day with my lady; and I'd make her happy as a priest on Sunday morning.

I jumped the stairs, all sixteen of them, and kept running. Rosalie shot her arm out and caught the end of my shirt.

"Where are you going, speed demon?"

"Swimming."

"Emmett, every lake in the Adirondacks is frozen."

"I'm going to smash the ice in, of course."

"Do you realize how conspicuous of you that is?"

"Rosalie…Please. Any lost bear could just waltz onto thin ice and fall."

"Yeah, are you willing to throw a bear into the lake just to make evidence of that?"

"Rosalie…you're no fun. You," I pointed to her, "should live your life. Any girl your age would spring at the chance to jump into a lake with a broad like me." I flexed my arm for effect.

"Girls my age usually are too busy for childish escapades like that."

I was running out of counter-attacks. "Rosalie…"

Rosalie dropped her voice. "_Rosalie, Rosalie!_" She raised it to her normal pitch again. "Be a man and sit with me. Maybe we could talk."

Maybe we could talk? Maybe I could run away right now and never come back? That's like, 'Maybe I can amputate all of your toes with a flamethrower and nail clippers?' in guy speak.

"Okay, little lady. Let's talk." I flashed a smile and sat next to her.

"Emmett," she said, and put her current book down. "Do you think we have souls?"

That's random.

"That depends on your definition of 'souls.'"

"Just answer."

"I think if you're pure enough of heart, and you're not with the devil, and you're moving still, you have a soul somewhere."

"That sounds exactly like how you'd answer. Not surprising. Well, I don't think you and I have souls at all."

I knew, since I was a little kid, what the definition of 'having a soul' was. I'm a church boy. I believe(d) in God, devoutly. From what I knew, if you were a believer, you were safe. And forgiven. And your soul wouldn't be cracked out of your lifeless body like a nut from a shell on judgment day. And you wouldn't burn in Hell.

Now, I am not as devout as I first was…at all. And I have more sins under my belt than an axe murderer at Baptist costume party in Georgia in the middle of July. I already took a trip to Hell. But still, I ended up with an angel, so somewhere I know I got me a soul.

"...Being a stupid vampire."

"What?"

"In my world, that is losing your soul. Losing everything you really need in life. Satisfaction, and old age, and good old human food, oh God, and the children…"

"Rosalie, you're way too cynical. If being a vampire is automatic soul removal, it's like…Hell with benefits."

"Emmett," she looked down.

"What?"

"You're an idiot. But you're my idiot. Your philosophy is broken beyond repair, but I love you." I was about to kiss her, but Edward opened the door and entered.

"So sweet, you two are like peas in a pod! Bless my little heart!" Edward sat next to me, putting me in the middle. "Watching you two is like drinking a bottle of maple syrup."

"You'll see, and when your little vampire princess comes along, I will be 'I-told-you-so-ing' all the way home." Rosalie smirked.

"Sure, sure. Whatever, Rosalie. Got a new book! The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown. Damon Runyon. That's where I was, at the bookstore." Edward showed his new book.

Edward and Rosalie both opened up their books. On the coffee table was a book about medical conditions. I picked it up and opened it. I learned, bit by bit, every single gland of the human body and its function. I was about to venture into the anatomy of the heart, and Carlisle came into my peripheral.

"You three!" Carlisle barked angrily.

"What?"

"You guys! …You guys haven't… done anything…wrong. Good job…I guess. Well, I just wanted to tell you that Esme and I are heading down to Rochester for the New Year. I am going to assume that you can all take care of yourselves."

Were we as disruptive and predictable as Carlisle thought?

"Don't pick up any more dying girls, after seeing Rosalie, I don't want to know how bad the dolls get there." Edward muttered.

Carlisle and Rosalie made sarcastic laughing noises.

"Funny, funny, boys. Let's go, Carlisle." Esme entered the living room, holding two suitcases.

"We will be back in two days, so don't get too crazy. Okay?"

Everyone muttered an affirmative.

"We love you! Take care!" Esme threw a kiss in the air and Carlisle opened the door and they both left gracefully, arm in arm as only they could manage.

…

I think I was almost smart enough to perform an appendectomy, and Rosalie shuts her book suddenly.

"I'm going for a hunt." Rosalie decided.

"I'll go too." Edward offered.

"Hell no, someone has to stay with the beast."

"I'm right here!"

"Yes you are, beastie."

"We can all go, then." Edward suggested. You know, I'm never really sure whose side Edward's ever on. "I don't have a side." Edward assured.

"You know what? I really don't care. Let's go. Let's go and we will paint the town red." Rosalie threw her arms in the air and tossed her book across the room.

Edward and I exchanged a somewhat wary look.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Oh…wow. This seriously, was thirty pages on Word, so there's gonna be a part two. I'm loving the story right here.

You know, I always have something to say in my author's notes, but by the time I finish the chapter, I forget what I wanted to say. Bummer, I know. Wait. I remembered. I've been working harder on making everyone sound like they're actually from the 1930s. GND really helps with my 1930s slang. Well, once I get the whole Forks thing under the belt, I can throw in everything I've dreamt of putting in this story. So, yay. Speaking of Guys and Dolls...The show's in like, two weeks. Therefore, two weeks from now, I can devote all my time to my four main activity groups:

A.) Wii Fit, B.) Writing, C.) School and the Stupid People Who Go There, and D.) Normal Body Functions. Not in order.

Review if you want to, part deux will be out in no time. Seriously.


	12. Happy New Year! :Part Two:

_(Happy New Year!: But You've Missed the Target, and I'm Looking a Lot Better because of That.)_

* * *

_Rosalie_

At this point in time, I really didn't care if Emmett tore the mayor's face off. Seriously. Being murdered by him must be like…being murdered by a teddy bear holding a machete. I actually haven't _seen_ him in the act, just the aftermath or the calm before. Maybe he _was_ a vicious bloodsucking monster when he was doing it, but for all intensive purposes, he really wasn't.

I can't be forced to reconsider this outing; I'm going willy or nilly. I had to drag them out, figuratively.

"We'll go hunting first, then if Emmett doesn't look like a sloppy axe murderer, we can go into town. Okay?"

Emmett and Edward just kind of shuffled behind me, and grunted.

The sun was close to setting; it was close to dusk. I almost regretted wearing my high-heeled boots in the three-foot snow. Almost. I kept stomping forward, still a lot faster than the two men behind me.

"Why so fast, speed demon?" Emmett called.

The infernal wildfire in my throat escalated a few levels. I hadn't bothered hunting in several days. That was odd. It actually never came up…

"Just hurry up, you two." I looked to my side and Emmett's there, latching his arm with mine. Edward is on my other side, hands in pockets.

"At least the _beast_ hunts in a schedule. Can't say the same for you." Emmett taunted.

"Yeah, well, I was busy."

"Too busy for the most vital component of your life?" Edward deadpanned.

"For your information, yes."

They like to team up on me. Little old me?

"I'm a bit antsy, let's run it off." Emmett shook his free arm. He slipped his other arm out of mine and hopped while we walked, like a boxer.

"I'd love it." Edward agreed.

"I don't care," I shrugged. "Let's go."

We started off, cutting off our obnoxiously long winding driveway and diving straight into the trees. We ran for a good two minutes north, which got us to a forested area close to Santa Clara, but past it.

"Please be careful, Emmett."

"Oh, please. I'm fine. Don't you worry your pretty little head, little lady…ah, I smell mountain lion."

"What, the one that's mine?" Edward interrupted.

"Ha, you wish!"

Emmett barreled across me into Edward and they both fell into the snow. They were a disconnected struggle of arms and legs. I wasn't worried. They were laughing and grunting. I left them there. Like I needed them to keep tabs on me? Like I needed to keep tabs on them?

I felt the urge to be very slow, which contrasted greatly with the fact that I was thirsty.

There is a slight winter wind, whistling on its way, shaking the bare winter branches. It was something that I never considered when I mentioned moving here. Snow, bare trees, freezing cold. Nothing to hide behind, and I liked hiding behind things. Us vampires liked hiding behind things. Usually. I felt like the stupid, defense-lacking, British soldiers, waiting to be gunned down by the flighty Americans of the revolution who were actually smart enough to hide.

I inhaled and the cold, harsh, scent of winter made me feel a bit homesick of Washington. An owl hooted, and I touched the back of my neck in some silent…silent…what was I doing standing here? I was 'attuning myself with nature,' like Emmett says I should. What a loser…

_Do you have anything else to do besides dawdle and babble over your sweetheart? There are things you need to do today. You're so slow!_ Vampire Rosalie snapped.

Touchy, touchy! No need to fret!

_Take a deep breath, Vampire. Count backwards from ten, little vampire girl!_ Good Rosalie inhaled obnoxiously to show her point.

_I regret having to share the same air space with you idiots._

_I am not an idiot. I'm very thirsty. When I get thirsty, I get irritated. And we _don't _breathe._ Vampire Rosalie hissed.

Stop it! You're ruining my philosophical thinking!

_You're the least philosophical girl I know._

_Ha._

_Just hunt, you loser. Before something bad happens._

That is a good point. I got going.

Things were good. Things were peachy and sweet and nice, and the animals were in abundance, and everything was good.

I'm full now, and I just kind of stood, taking it in. The cold, and the snow, and harsh glow filled me, and it made me feel a little deeper than I actually was.

I feel this surge, _the _surge, I feel right now. It's in my veins, it's in my head, it's in my bones and it's in my muscles, begging to do their job.

_Maybe we can relax? Stand, and just that? I'm fucking tired of running on crazy outings with the monkey. Because, he is high-maintenance like hell, girl. I love him, but…_damn. Bad Rosalie groaned.

Oh, shut up! He's not 'high-maintenance.' _I'm_ high maintenance.

_Sure he isn't, Sweetpea. Sure… _Bad trailed off awkwardly. _Do you smell that?_

_Uh, no. Whatisit? Youhavetotellme._ Good Rosalie murmured excitedly.

_I smell human. What, did Emmett kill someone…again?_ Vampire Rosalie isn't really impressed by the scent.

God, I hope not.

But it's closer. And alive.

There's someone here. Someone's watching, and I haven't killed them. No. I haven't _taken care_ of them.

_You're not planning on killing anyone, are you?_

No! But I don't have a device that cleans people's minds like slate, or something! I might have to. I don't want to.

A branch snapped, and the scent of pure human assured me that something was quite wrong here. I wasn't going to scare the poor fool even more.

"Who's there?" I asked to someone. I expected no answer. Prophecy fulfilled.

The sound of snow crunching just too loudly made me think he (probably), was trying to escape.

Then I saw him, tall and lanky, with sandy blonde hair, like a lion. He moved like a jungle cat. He was decently handsome, with decently handsome features. He seemed like the kind of guy who ends up dead…

_Maybe the kind of fool who ends up a vampire._

Don't even joke about that. Like I'd do that to someone for kicks.

_What about the Emmett?_

That was a completely different set of circumstances! I have morals. I may be beautiful, but I have morals.

…He was shocked, at what, my obvious beauty or my actions he may or may not have seen, I haven't a clue. I stayed as human as possible for the kid.

But I really didn't know what to do. Would I just attack him? Could I just lull him into the thing that happened to all the men? Should I just talk it out?

I stared. He stared.

I expected Emmett or Edward to burst into the scene and break it out. It didn't happen.

He cocked his head.

I hope I wasn't bloody, or messy, or remotely displeasing.

_For the love of God, just say something. Anything. Before he runs. Don't let him run! _Good Rosalie cried.

I put the sweetest touch on my voice. "Hello, Sir, what brings you here?"

His mouth gaped, fishing for a response. He tasted each response, and swallowed the rejects. I think he knew he was embarrassing himself. He gently spat, "Just walking."

I inched a step closer, smiling. "So nice to meet you. What's your name, Sir?"

His mouth kept gaping. His voice saved him again. "Adam. Sorry if I'm bothering you."

Another step closer. "Oh, no, not at all. I'm Rosalie, nice to meet you." I purred.

_Why'd you tell him your actual name?_

Relax. I don't think it will matter in the end.

I feel that this is very ironic. Adam, here in the garden, with the pretty snake herself. (Where's your Eve?) Take a bite, won't you dear?

"Ah, nice to meet you too. If I'm a bother…"

My steps were subtler but I was closer to him now, about three yards away now. I think that this guy's a bit worried. Of me? Little old me?

"Not a bother, you're a pleasure, trust me," I covered a yard in a stride. "Stay."

Oh God, Emmett can't be here now. All Hell will break loose if he shows up.

"A pleasure…really?" Adam stuttered. He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. I could smell the disturbingly pleasing scent of his perspiration begin to roll out of his pores.

"Such a pleasure. Now tell me," I covered three feet, leaving about another three feet between us. "How long have you been watching me, little boy?"

Adam rolled his eyes in a panicked fashion. "I was passing, and you heard me. I'm real sorry." His eyes were humanly decent, gray with flecks of blue. So maybe that wasn't normal, maybe they were pretty close to being gray-purple.

_Oh, the stinging nostalgia! Oh, the good ole purple eyed days of your childhood! How marvelous is this, sweetheart?_

I held my thoughts steady. Must…keep…seducing…

Adam backed up against a tree. I checked my breath, and it smelled sweet.

"I forgive you…" I placed my hand next to him on the tree, pinning him from one side. I stood for a second, just letting him know how attractive and dangerous I am. I heard him inhale, take in my scent. He looked a bit dazed. "But you never answered my question."

"I saw you with a pretty deer, as if you were bending to speak with it," said Adam. He swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "Have I…done something wrong?"

Damn. Boy's seen too much already.

_No he hasn't. He has no idea you're bloodsucking vermin. Let him go._

_He probably knows people, who know people, who know paranoid superstitious people, who know Carlisle. Don't take a chance._

_He's…honestly a bit appetizing. A lot appetizing. Like the blood of a human god appetizing. But that's okay, because you can control yourself and you are so good at not killing people that I am putting my trust in you, honey! _Vampire Rosalie prattled.

"No, no. I like you, Adam. You're so cute. I could use someone like you." These words meant nothing. They were noises off the tongue. Except I knew, that these words were a Siren's song to him, luring him to me.

I heard his heart pound, excitedly, maybe worriedly. "That's so nice of you, Miss Rosalie. But I…"

I placed my other arm on the other side and completely blocked him from leaving. "Really have to go? Don't. I'm just getting to know you."

_Well…at least step your game up, vixen. The Emmett is going to run in any second, and poor Adam's windpipe will be ripped out of his throat. This needs to end._

I brushed my lips against his cheek. "You shouldn't resist." I touched his neck, pulsing with life.

"Oh? Oh…" Adam is half horrified and the rest resistant.

His lips twitched microscopically. He's a bit tough. Most men melted here. I brushed my lips against his. His lips stayed rigid. Oh, come on. Kiss back, little human.

I carefully grabbed his bottom lip with mine, and that seemed to work. Adam melted. He slowly kissed back. I didn't have to have crazy superpowers to feel everything my little puppet saw melt from his mind.

The Siren has her silly prey, silly little boy. Song worked.

_It doesn't mean anything it doesn't mean anything it doesn't mean anything. We still love Emmett. We still love him, ever so much._ Good Rosalie chanted.

I know, I'm just pretending it's Emmett.

He's wax in my hands. I could kiss him, and ask him to murder his father, and he would've.

_Oh, no. You said you weren't going to manipulate this poor sap!_

I said nothing about manipulation. Besides, he smells just like my mother's strawberry cake...

My lips crawled to his neck. I opened my mouth ever so slightly, every ounce of my being begged for me to sink my teeth into his neck. I let my teeth touch his neck, so slightly…

_Bite him, do it, do it please! I haven't tasted a human's blood in…so long. Do it for me..._

_Oh please. I know-_

"_Rosalie?_ What the _fuck?_" I heard this roar.

My prince has arrived!

I turned around, hands still gripping Adam, "Hello, Emmett."

"Who-what-I-when-huh…" Emmett stuttered. His eyes smoldered and his fists clenched.

Adam was frenzying at this point. Not with any noise, more like a confused bull, snorting and the whites of his eyes smoking. He shook and writhed in my grasp, but my hands held onto the collar of his shirt, making escape laughable. I curtly glanced at his neck, fearing I actually broke the skin. But I'm better than that. I'm precise, and if I wanted to turn this purple-eyed kid into a monster, I would have. Perfectly. Accurately.

"Emmett, no need to…"

"I'm not angry with you, little lady," then his gaze shifted millimeters to poor Adam, "It's _you_ I'm angry with." The gaze phased into, _I'll-love-you-always-mon-cherie, _to _I-hate-you-with-the-intensity-of-a-million-suns._

I let go of Adam, who was frozen from Emmett's glare. He stood petrified. For him, it must be like looking into the eyes of Ares.

"Emmett…why don't you let me explain, sugarplum…because it's a very short story…"

Emmett pushed past me, pushed me out of the way, snarling. "You touched her. You touched _my_ girl. You might die today."

It was kind of scary. Honestly. The way…this, I don't know, _hate_ was laced in his words. Maybe it was envy. But whatever it was, it was serious and odd. I picked up a touch of contempt in his voice.

_Oh snap! Guy fight!_ Bad Rosalie cackled. _All Hell done broke loose!_

_Oh, hush! _Good Rosalie flicked Bad Rosalie in the forehead.

I mouthed, "I'm really sorry," to Adam and backed away.

Emmett seized his shoulders and began to sniff him, like a bloodhound. He stopped at his lips. His lips curled over his pearly white teeth, and he let a low, masculine growl escape. "You kissed her…" Emmett calmed for a second. He looked kind of thoughtful. "…But can I blame you? She's so beautiful; I'd've done the same thing…yet I have the strongest urge to kill you. Do you know that?"

Adam made a gasping noise. For a second, I think I smelled the adrenaline tear into Adam, but he wasn't going to even try fighting Emmett. There was silence, and a sliver of anger crossed Adam's face. The two men locked eyes, sweet purple against the smoldering red.

"Emmett! You're scaring him!" I whispered.

"I mean to," he didn't turn to face me, "but anyway, I think I should kill you. I'd rip you in half, or bleed you dry. Tear you limb from limb, listen to you scream."

Vividness is in the eye of the murderer, is it not?

It was quiet for a moment.

The sniffing continued, and he reached his neck. Then I heard the most angered, inhuman, lowest, snarl slip past Emmett's lips. It began angry, at least. It ended wanting.

"Emmett, no…" I warned.

It was very, very, quick from here on. Emmett tore into the poor kid's neck, and Adam got this horrified look on his face. Then he goes limp, and Emmett kept drinking. Adam's somewhat lifeless body falls, and Emmett went with it to the ground.

_Stop him!_

_No. If we tried to stop him, he may freak out at us. If he didn't, he'd leave the poor kid alive, and we don't need that again, now do we?_

I sense that Adam is dead, pretty blatantly. I locked my arms around Emmett's broad shoulders and yanked him off the corpse. I see his pretty purple eyes glance in a creepy final gesture, and then they shut. I have no idea why it weirded me out so much.

Enter Edward: "Ah, Emmett… For the love of humanity, it's New Years' Eve! Have some decency!"

"Shut it, Edward. He's not a controlled person right now, and you aren't helping! Maybe if you came here..." ...a bit quicker, you yourself, big man, could have stopped it like the god you are! I trailed off, but I made my thoughts very clear.

Emmett groaned. "I did it again. Sorry. I'm sorry." I don't think there was much else to say after that for him. I guess he was used to this now. His hand held my hand, and left a small splotch of Adam's blood on my palm. Emmett lets me go, and he turned.

No one was looking. I slowly put my palm to my lips and licked the splotch off. Oh, being a vampire bites. Haha…

_Oh, damn. It would have been worth it. It would have been worth the guilt. Oh, God. It's like heaven… I wish I had more. I wish I could have everything the Emmett had right then. _Vampire Rosalie is full of emotions.

I frowned and tried to get the taste of blood out of my mouth. Yes, the insatiable bloodlust came, but Vampire Rosalie took the brunt of the hit.

"You two, let's go back, and we'll talk about this there. Take care of the man." Edward muttered, and began to think.

…

Instead of hysteric, Emmett is still kind of livid. "He really…didn't deserve to die. But, he smelled so sweet and his neck was right there, little lady! And he touched you! I don't want anyone else ever touching you. It kills me to have anyone else have you."

Maybe I should tell him that I was the one touching him? His somewhat pleasing words sent a proud shake down my spine, despite the male possessiveness of it all.

"Emmett, you do know that Rosalie is completely capable of taking care of chauvinistic pigs?" Edward pointed out.

You would know…

Edward glanced at me. A 'shut up' kind of glance.

"Yes, but maybe you'll get it later…"

"Once I find a woman, right? Well, fine. But still, did you have to kill him? Did you?"

"I don't wanna talk about this. My day is shot." Emmett ended the conversation.

"Well, it's New Years' Eve, and I think…" I began, but the ending of the sentence melted away somewhere. "Maybe I should work on the Pierce, instead. The engine needs a look."

"That car is like your child, Rosalie," Edward smirked.

"More like a pet."

Despite the obvious worry and anger that swirled inside me, possibly Emmett or Edward too, no one was hysteric and running. We walked side-by-side down the beaten forest path, and the sun was setting routinely. I guess…

…At the end of the day, you're gonna be stuck killing something. Maybe, give it ten years, twenty tops, this will all be a funny joke. A joke, haha! Hey, remember the kid who killed the aristocrat, AND the purple-eyed kid? I know, haha, right!

"So, are we supposed to bond over this, and have a nice evening?" Edward asked, amused.

"Ha. I hope not."

"Okay, are we supposed to roar and hiss at the incompetence of the others, and tear the house down?"

"Hope not." I repeat.

Edward gave me a thoughtful look. "So, we just sit, and watch this year slip through our fingers?"

Emmett spoke up, "Probably."

I punched Emmett in the arm. "Probably_ not_."

Edward laughed. Emmett just took the hit and kept his perma-grimace stuck to his face, hands in pockets. "I have…I have seen someone who looked like him," he murmured to the snow.

"What?"

Emmett kept his eyes to the ground, analyzing, slightly panicked and somewhat insane. "Him. I think I have seen that man in another…person's face." For a second, he glanced at me, eyes murmuring, 'do you know what I mean?'

"Like he's related to someone you know?"

"Maybe." Emmett shrugged the ominous feeling he raised, like a parrot itching his shoulder. "That kind of scares me," Then he snapped his head towards me, and flashed a small smile. "Little lady. That's okay, because I'm with you guys! My favoritest people in the world!"

The worry fell from Emmett, like clothes or water.

"'Favoritest' isn't a word, Emmett."

"Shut up, Edward." Emmett said sweetly.

We kept on going where we were going. Which was back to the house.

* * *

_Emmett_

I cannot shake the feeling. Can't shake the feeling that I did it. The thing. The unnecessary kill that gets me in trouble. Bad trouble.

It's around seven or eight in the evening, and the only thing keeping me from beating someone up is the fact that the necklace in my pocket is leaving a cold spot on my leg. Oh, right.

I tried to forget the sick feeling for now, at least.

Rosalie swung the front door open and held it for Edward and I.

I immediately collapsed onto the sofa, and I was immediately wrenched from it.

"You're a mess. Go change." Rosalie commanded.

"Yes ma'am." I feebly scurried off to my room to change. I opened my door and sat on my bed, and I wonder, why the hell do I kill innocent humans?

I don't know. I just can't stop myself, and apparently everyone else is too slow to stop me themselves. I feel like the bully who wants to change, but can't stop beating everyone up.

I just sat there, and then something else hit me. Hey, if I caught Rosalie's scent on the man, wouldn't that mean that she was the one kissing?

It did.

But I can't be angry at her for that. She obviously had a reason to do it. Obviously!

I made my way to my closet and pulled a decent match of clothing out. Huh, matching clothes. She'd like that.

Downstairs, I see Edward drawing in a notebook, bored.

"What're you drawing?" I asked, but didn't try to look.

"Not drawing, per se," and then he turned the notebook to me, revealing sheet music with notes and other musical symbols all over the paper. "A favor. Pretty song."

"Have fun with that. Where's Rosalie?"

"Garage. Car."

I nodded a 'thank you' to him, and left him in the living room.

I don't actually see Rosalie, just her borderline-obnoxious cherry red heels sticking out from under the car. Scratch that. Although they would probably look borderline-obnoxious on any other female, but on Rosalie, it just looked sexy. Oh, so much. She could do that. Flawlessly as hell.

Another part of me fantasized about Rosalie in her heels of godliness, seducing me.

"Emmett," she said. It wasn't a question, just an acknowledgement.

"Hi, Rosalie." I wanted to just talk to her…

"You probably want to speak with me. I understand. Speak."

I sat down on a bench in the garage.

It was quiet for a second or two. Rosalie banged the car's underside, and something metallic clattered off. "Goddamn it all," she muttered harshly.

"Sorry about earlier, little lady."

"Sorry about this, sorry about that. Sweet God Almighty, just stop being sorry about this stuff. It's completely natural, Emmett. Always will be. Edward and the rest of us are the unnatural ones," Rosalie hit the underside again, and a black liquid seeped from under the car. "I forgive you, Edward does, and it's not that detrimental or painful as it once was."

"Well, what about the guy. What was with that?"

"Hand me that wrench near my left shoe, babe," I did so. "Well, here's the skinny. He saw me hunting, essentially. I think I cleared his mind of the information with some…persuasion. The thing is that I was compelled to kill him, like you would have…screwdriver please?"

I fumbled for the screwdriver, and placed it in her waiting hand.

"His blood smelled better than anything I've had to deal with before. His eyes…they were almost as pretty as mine, almost as odd as yours."

Thanks. "You sound hung up on this." I noted.

Rosalie scoffed. "I'm not. Besides, what happened has happened. I'm working on the Pierce now. I'm hung up on this. I still need to check the tires, so I'm not wasting time dwelling on...his gray eyes... I don't dwell."

'Uh, yes you do.' But I kept my mouth shut.

"Well, don't be too long." I got up and began to leave. Somehow, Rosalie's feet pulled this maneuver on me. One stopped my foot, and the other kicked up and hit the back of my knee, and I fell onto the bench.

"Stay, why don't you?" Then it was silent for a fraction of a minute. "Emmett?"

"Yes?"

"What time is it?" I glanced outside of the garage, and the sun has been under the horizon for a good hour, and the moon had risen.

"Eight-ish." I guessed.

"I bet you're giddy about New Years'."

I actually pondered that. "Uh, not as much as you'd think. Does it really matter?"

Rosalie slipped out from under the car. "That's crazy talk from you, Emmett." She had a large smudge of motor oil under her eye, one on her chin, and one on her neck. She still looked incredibly sexy. Tremendously so.

"Is it? Does the landmark of living another year matter, unless it was Year of the Wildfires and Axes?"

"Don't question me, boy. I know you've been shaking in your shoes to spend this evening with me. If you're letting a little instinctual dining get in the way of our love, then I don't know what's wrong with you."

"I'm just worried."

"About what? Tell me that." Rosalie pulled a cloth out of her pocket and wiped the chin smudge off in one swift motion.

"I…I don't know. Sorry, little lady."

Rosalie fiddled with a strap of her overalls. She's wearing overalls? Well, I'll be damned. "Don't worry about nothing," she said, and fell across my lap dramatically. "Sugarplum." Then she winked.

"Okay, I won't."

"Good." Rosalie kissed my cheek and dropped to the car, and fiddled with the tires, like the little pet it was to her.

…I still worried about nothing.

I decided to play some Monopoly with Edward, because I knew I sucked at chess, the initial decision. Edward is losing.

The nagging nothing nipped at me. I still worried.

Rosalie is in the kitchen, doing something girlie perhaps.

Edward leaned across the coffee table and whispered, "I bet you have contrived some sort of a gift for Blondie? Because she doesn't want one?"

I nodded.

"Huh, what is it?"

"Don't you know?"

Edward shrugged. "Eh, yes, but I want to hear it."

"Necklace." I said.

"Is it nice?"

"I'd say so."

"What color is it-"

"Edward. Stop it." I looked him straight in the face.

Edward laughed, like it's the funniest thing in the world. "Okay, kid. Whatever you say." He rolled the dice and cursed.

"Boardwalk. You're broke, I win." I pointed out. On cue, the grandfather clock rang and Edward muttered, "Ten."

"How long were we playing Monopoly? My God," I sighed.

"A while. Another game?"

"No!"

The next hour and fifty-five minutes passed rather uneventfully. 11:55.

Edward is on the other side of the room, listening keenly to a radio program. I'm across the sofa, just spread out on it, leaving no room. I'm only somewhat focused on the fact that it's almost midnight.

I closed my eyes, but the blindness made me more hyperaware. I hear clicking coming toward me, high heeled clicking.

"Rosalie." I tried that smooth acknowledgement thing.

"Hey, babe."

The way she said 'hey, babe' worried me. I felt hands on my chest, but they moved to my back. My eyes shot open. She's lying on me, arms slipped behind me.

"Hi, Rosalie." She nuzzled her head into my chest and purred.

"Don't ruin this for me by saying anything, okay?"

I obliged, and put my hand on the womanly dent of her back, pulled her close. I glanced at the clock. 11:59.

I slipped my free hand in my pocket, and grasped for the box. My fingers closed around it pulled it slowly, so Rosalie wouldn't pick up the movement. Just to scare me, Rosalie stirred and kissed my cheek.

"1936," Edward muttered, and not a second after, the grandfather clock chimed merrily. "I'm so excited."

I grinned devilishly. "Rosalie," I poke her.

"What?"

"Got you something."

"Ugh, Emmett. You shouldn't _have_…Oh, give it to me."

Rosalie rolled off of me, then managed to shove me to the floor. I held the box up to her. She frowned angrily, but the speed of her fingers snatching the box proved otherwise. She opened it, and pulled the necklace out and admired it in that womanly fashion. Then she sighed in that womanly way. "So pretty, like the sea, or something."

From the floor, I rubbed the back of my head and chuckled. "I was aiming for that, y'know."

"I told you not to get me anything, Emmett. But you go out and get me something anyway. I hate when you do things like that."

"Well, on the contrary, I've had that thing forever. I just found it one day, and I didn't know what to do with it until a few days ago. You need it."

Edward laughed at a cunning joke the crime show made. "Oh, Smith! You filthy dog, you!"

Rosalie smiled, and hooked the necklace on. "I love it. I don't know why, but it makes me warm on the inside to have this. Come here," she held my face, touched her lips with mine, before I could kiss back, she pulled away and whispered, "Remember, diamonds are a girl's best friend."

The sad thing was that I didn't care that she kissed a human man…hours before this moment.

Rosalie's sweet breath is sort of distracting, so is her woody scent, and her beautiful eyes… I managed to murmur something close to; "I'll keep that in mind." She patted my cheek, and latched her arms around me and pulled me in to her.

It was the best thing to happen to me all day. All week, maybe. My legs tangled with hers, and my hands ran through her hair…we were as together as we could ever be right now.

"You smell wonderful." It was one of those weird unison lines. Perfectly together.

We didn't say anything. We hardly moved, even. Today, I didn't need anything more. Just this.

…

The next two days passed…uneventfully. Boringly. I hunted, played games, read, relaxed. Nothing out of the ordinary…but seriously, what's normal around here anyway?

I am at peace. It's a really nice day outside, with the snow trying to melt, and the sun sweetly shining. I'm lying on the floor, stomach up, with my hands folded across my chest, in front of the couch. I am listening.

Rosalie is playing the piano, and from what I saw, she's really into this. She'd play, then stop, then curse, then she'd scribble something on the sheet music and curse again.

I am listening. To the bits of music she'd play. They were soft and familiar, like a grandmother's hand-knitted sweater. It was sweet, but dark and enigmatic, like a Scottish loch covered with dusky fog. My Goodness, I wonder _what was_ this tune, making me all thoughtful.

"Ha, I got it." Rosalie said.

"Got what?" I inquired.

"This song. It was a…humdinger. Listen to it?" I jumped up and darted over to her.

She didn't really wait for an affirmative, she just started playing. It was even more soft and sweet and dark and enigmatic. This time, it was chirpier, like…like birds. Then it ended softer with low notes like rain. The whole thing made me discombobulated and dazed.

"The rainy day. The sweet rainy day with the birdsong. It's the birdsong, isn't it?" I realized.

"Yeah, I forced Edward to write the bare bones, but it was screwed up and I had to fix it."

"Oh, little lady! This is so sweet of you!"

She laughed. "It's not for you. It's…a story. About things. That…just happened to involve birdsong that could be turned into song form. It's for…" Rosalie spread her hands across her face dreamily, "The world, Emmett."

"The world, huh?" I muttered.

"Or maybe the little messed-up world we're living in here. Haven't decided," she shrugged. I heard a car door slam. "Oh, the lovelies have returned!" Rosalie smiled. I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic.

There are steps inching closer to the door. Quiet, safe, steps inching to the door. Makes me feel better.

The door opened quietly. "Hello, we're home!" Carlisle and then Esme entered the house.

"How goes it, foster parental units?" Edward said, pokerfaced.

"It was wonderful. It's nice to take a vacation…once in a while…" Esme sighed happily. Then they shared a reminiscing look.

"It's going well. How have you three been?" Carlisle smiled softly. It was downplayed by the fact that his eyes glanced at the three of us warily, and his voice was laced with apprehension and worry and suspicion. But, the smile was still _really_ convincing, I have to say.

I might have confessed right there, but I clamped my mouth shut. Rosalie smiled, almost genuinely happy that they were back.

I sat on the floor next to the piano, and began to bite my fingernails. Rosalie slapped my shoulder. I looked up at her and she shook her head in a disapproving fashion. Then she gave me a 'relax…' sort of look.

Despite my brushing my teeth five times after I hunted today, I suddenly felt as if my mouth were covered in blood. Ugh… The guilt.

Carlisle took the suitcases and ran up the stairs.

Esme came over to talk to Rosalie. I guess women had a way of gravitating towards each other. They started this girlie babbling, about clothes and love and other stuff. One of them mentioned 'a makeover' and they shot off, still talking and grasping hands or arms or shoulders.

It scared me how females did that. They'd just be normal alone, but when another female came in, they were like crazed wildebeest. Or maybe they were like…the Amazons, plotting to kill off the men in the village.

Oh, the mysteries of life!

I crawled over to the stairs, up the steps. Maybe I can just hide out in my room until forever ends… Maybe I can, maybe I can, almost there, maybe I can…alllllmost…

"Emmett! How's my favorite guy?" I see Carlisle's shoes at my feet. Didn't make it. I picked myself up and brushed my knees off. "Hi." I murmured sharply, avoiding his eyes.

"Let's talk man to man, big guy." His hand is on my shoulder in that assuring fashion.

My replies are short and sharp. "Okay."

"Did things go perfectly," Carlisle leaned toward me, "This weekend?"

I must have looked like a robber caught in the act. My lips fished for answers. "Oh, Oh! Yeahhhh! Oh, oh, of course! Why would you say that? Pfft!" It got quiet for second and Carlisle waited patiently. "…Yeah. Things went perfectly."

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

I shook my head quickly.

"Good, Emmett. I'll be in my study." Carlisle eyed me happily. The literal weight of Carlisle's hand crushing my shoulder left, and so did Carlisle.

Oh God. I think he believed me! I let the pent-up breath out of my lungs.

"I hope that that kid was an orphan, because if he's important, I'm going to rat you out so fast your head'll spin." Edward appeared next to me on the staircase.

"You wouldn't. You won't. You need to cool down, Edward my dear." I held my cool. I held myself. That was good, considering my masculinity was torn to shreds around Edward.

Edward looked me over. "Sure. Sure. I'll be packing my bags. Just in case," he sneered and left me on the staircase.

Tetchy, are we?

Internally, I shook the feeling of the thought of me being caught. Me: being the problem. Like always. Me: failing at human decency. What was I gonna do now? I stood for a moment, and then decided my room is my safe haven.

In my room, it's always a bit too dark. Maybe it was the window or, the curtains, or something. I don't know. I stood in front of the window, in the too-stupid-dark sunlight, and fell on to the bed.

Why didn't I just say, back in the summer: "Sorry fellow fellows, I have a hunkering for human blood! I guess I'll just let myself go, and break some necks! Thanks for your help, guys! I'll miss you blonde angel, and your creepy family! Keep in touch!"

Can't live without the angel! Yay!

I settled. I wasn't cold, or hot. Despite my perfect condition, I shoved myself under the covers in a hodgepodge of twisting so I wouldn't have to stand up. I felt better, under the blanket and the sheets.

I honestly don't know how long I just sat there. One of those moments where time is relative.

Hell, it's always relative.

Hmm…

I heard the telephone ring routinely. And yet, my venom runs cold in my veins. I listened…

_Hello? …Good afternoon, Master Mendelssohn. Oh, I've been out for the weekend, forgive me! Sorry, about the hospital. Yes, I believed they would have too, Master Mendelssohn!_ Carlisle paused to chuckle pleasantly. _…Who? Oh. That is horrendous! No one at the hospital told me, although I haven't been there since I have returned. I empathize, Master Mendelssohn. My deepest apologies. She must be in shambles. My deepest apologies. Mind my asking, do you know… he sighed petulantly. A bear attack perhaps. Some species of animal? I'll tell you if I hear something, Master Mendelssohn. Yes. Goodbye._

I wanted to hide under the covers right now.

But I didn't hear angry thumping up the stairs. This was good, but very distressing.

I prayed my ears just opened up a little more, to hear more.

"What happened, Carlisle?" Esme cooed.

At this point, I could practically hear the grimace on Carlisle's face. At this point, I had my ear pressed against the door of my room.

"Master Mendelssohn's son. Is dead."

I hated how Carlisle called everyone somewhat important, Master or Mistress. It was so…1700s. _Then again…_ And the man's so nice, that he could be talking to the stockboy of the town store, and he'd be, "Oh, Master Fitzpatrick!" And the cashier'd be, "Mistress Harman!" This confused me, as I didn't actually know if Master Mendelssohn was a shut in or the vice president.

"Mr. Mendelssohn? Uh, Adam Mendelssohn? The little cute one?" Esme asked.

"…Yes. The cute one, Esme."

There was a pause in their conversation.

"Oh, Carlisle," her words grew noncommittal, "How did he die?"

"He was killed by an animal, how funny."

"What kind of animal was it, honey?"

"The kind no one's ever able to identify, of course. The bicuspid pattern is irregular. Odd…isn't it?"

"You think…?"

Carlisle laughed reservedly. "Emmett assured me that nothing bad happened. He's too _pure of soul_ for something like…lying."

Ha!

Esme sighed. "And you're sure?"

No one answered this rebuttal.

Edward's petty threat rang in my head.

…

Fear. An angry icy knot contorting inside me. Anger. Oh, the anger. A fog over my eyes, shoving funhouse hallucinations at me. Confusion. Waves crashing against the breaker, eroding…

Anger! The wrathful goddess, knocking things over, clawing and scaring…Aphrodite-grade things, I'll assure.

Boredom. Warm gray cement passing my eyes for hours upon hours, minutes atop minutes, with cold faded yellow lines snaking along with it. Guilt. Blood like pomegranates, blood like life. Sharp teeth, poor boy. Still seeing that…look…on Master Mendelssohn's bloodless face. Love. Lips like sugar, and forgiveness like light. Sarcasm. Noncommittal bitterness, from the Witty Remark God himself. _You got caught, and you murdered the mayor's kid._

Change.

I snapped out of my trance. Not a dream, but like, a still-awake-dream. Esme is in the middle of explaining something. My face is pressed against the glass of Rosalie's little pet, the Pierce-Arrow.

"…back to Washington. It's a very small town. It's very rainy, and generally unattractive to 94 percent of the country's population. So I think we're in the clear. Maybe. Hopefully." Esme smiled sweetly at us from the front seat.

Rosalie nodded next to me, and held my hand. She was listening intently, I could tell, but she was fiddling with my fingers.

"Yay. Maybe Bigfoot won't kill anyone else _here_." Edward muttered. Rosalie slapped him, somewhat bored. She'd heard enough of those stupid one-liners on this trip alone.

I made a face at him, past Rosalie. _Haha, I've got the vixen on my side, Mind Reader!_

Edward snorted, and gave the current battle up.

A sudden driving rain began to batter the car's frame. The kind of rain you see in tropical places. It scared me, and the car frame suddenly felt like rice paper. The rain intensified and thunder rolled in the distance.

It wasn't 'pitter-patter, pitter-patter, boom.' It was 'bang-bang-bang, crash-bang-crash, gruhhhhh-grumblegrumble-wham!'

Rosalie is dismayed. "Oh, my poor little baby! Do you know what this rain must be doing to the paint job? I'll have to give it a new coat!"

"Is it…always like this here?" I asked.

"You should get used to the weather." Carlisle said, and accelerated. The car cruised forward.

Rosalie gave an annoyed noise. "I hate rain," she said.

"Get used to it." Edward said, in a conversation-ending tone.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Sorry. Thank you so much. It's over…

Sorry for being slow. Thanks for the reviews/faves/alerts/the-whole-shebang. Guys and Dolls is finally over! I spent a lot of time doing it. I'm kind of glad it's over in a weird way… But anyhoo, now I can focus on school, and this. Did I say, 'thanks for reviews and/or suggestions?' *looks* Oh, I guess I did, but seriously. I love it. This chapter was basically a thing to move the plot along. A lot. I don't like it, this chapter. But…I hate all my chapters on the inside…so it's cool. Next chapter?: Forks, finally for the love of God?

Yeah, I know this was long, so maybe you should review so you didn't waste part of your life reading this for nothing!

Review if you feel like it!


	13. Nothing To Worry About

_("Détente: n. A Relaxing of Tensions esp. Between Nations_, _as by Negotiations and Agreements..." Nothing To Worry About!)_

* * *

_Emmett_

So, I think that I'm cured of whole 'murdering the innocent' thing. Honestly, I think I am. I'm real proud to say that I haven't killed anyone since I moved here.

Forks? Yeah. Forks.

I'm a little confused, 'cause it rains like a waterfall here, and yet…_there isn't anything to swim in! _I know, I know, it's dreadful. But I'm doing good, you see, the rains are just as good as swimming the way it comes down here.

Rosalie doesn't feel the same.

If it just cracks thunder, and then it downpours, Rosalie will be very angry that her outfit (which inevitably took hours to coordinate) is all wet. I just say that I appreciate her more when she's wet. Then she takes it the wrong way and slaps me.

It never changes. I still love her.

_Sigh_…

I remember how back when I was just Emmett the Human, I loved playing sports. I haven't really got a chance to really…play sports. Huh. Rosalie isn't partial to football, not like we have enough people to play anyway…and Edward suggests badminton:

I'm like, "What the hell, badminton? Are you five?" So he makes this 'you-want-to-challenge-ME-to-the-manliest-sport-ever?' smug kind of laugh and challenges me. Okay, fine.

My sisters liked to play badminton. It was a very girlie sport, with the birdies and the cute little racquets. With the little grunts and little playful lunges. No sweat.

So Edward handed me a racquet, and skillfully served the birdie to me. I easily hit it back.

Edward winded up for the second hit and the birdie ricocheted off of his racquet, and torpedoed towards me. It has to be going at least a hundred miles a minute.

Sweet Summer! "Gah, Edward!" I scream. I had to run a mile backwards to volley it back over, just as hard…

Shall we just say that I respect badminton now?

But I'm not playing with Edward anymore.

Flash forward to now. Today.

I found myself, snapping out of that trance from earlier, on the floor of Rosalie's room. The curtains are wide open, but no sunlight enters. Thunder clapped, and I remembered why there wasn't any sunlight. My throat is ablaze wickedly, like I drank battery acid. It's not my idea of pretty. Rain, and fire inside me. I sat up against her wall, remembering why I was even in her room. Was she even in here?

I crawled to her bed, and she was, as usual, brushing her hair at her vanity. "Your hair looks beautiful already," I greeted her.

Rosalie shook her head smiling. "You, sir, are biased."

I gave up. "Well, what's the story, Morning Glory?"

"Carlisle dearest says we're surveying out our applicable territory, for peace sakes. You should freshen up."

I chuckled. "Hey, I'm clean, for once." I crawled over the bed to the vanity. The silver brush slithered through her sunshiny hair; I was a little charmed by it, like a snake. Brush…lift…brush…lift…brush…

"Who's the prettiest girl in the world?" Rosalie murmured.

"You are," I bent to whisper in her ear, "you always will be. So stop brushing your hair, because no one else's will ever compare."

"Is that a bias I smell?"

I placed my hands on her shoulders, and slowly began to massage them. "No. I would tell you _exactly _how I feel. I'm just that kind of guy. I'm unbiased." I assured, ignoring the urge to tear her clothes off.

"Unbiased. Sure," she let the brush clatter to the wood of the vanity and purred. "You should stop, you loser."

"I don't see it happening. You _like _it. I exist to serve you, your Excellency."

"Oh, you serve me well, you…" Whatever the end of the sentence was, it melted into a moan.

"What'd I do?" I asked, confused.

Rosalie glanced at me crookedly. "I think you hit a hard spot, that's all."

"I should be a masseuse, little lady."

"Ha. No."

I decided I'd let a little fun slide, and touched my lips to her neck.

"My God, how do you just turn normal conversation into…this?"

"I'm good."

"You're bad," she smiled. I smiled briefly and kissed closer to her shoulder. "Fine. I give up," I didn't really get what she meant, until she twisted and met my lips. My chivalry meter dropped, as I kissed back, shamelessly. The wooden chair became an object in my way; I pushed it, snapping it in half. Rosalie was unaffected, and lifted herself out of it, pulling me by my vest to her.

She pushed me to the bit of wall next to her door. To describe it poetically, it was a flurrying frenzy of kisses and skin, wonderful and fulfilling. It toned the fire inside down. This was the stuff I live for.

The door opened, revealing, not Edward as I expected, but Esme. "Ah, guys? _Oh, _guys. Uh…" she shadowed off, "We need to go. And who broke that chair?"

Rosalie let go of my bottom lip, reluctantly. But that's a good thing, right? She gave Esme a half loving-your-mother, half it's-a-pity-you-showed-up, look.

"I did." I admitted feebly.

"That's okay. It's the least of anyone's worries! Get downstairs, okay?" Esme nodded, enunciating her aforementioned comments, and shut the door.

Rosalie giggled, and wiped some probable venom from the side of my mouth. "You're very messy, did you know that?"

"Just for you, little lady."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the hallway. I snatched my hat off the banister as we flew down the stairs.

…

So the plan was that we'd just split up, but we reconsidered, because only bad things happen when you split up. Bad things. Therefore, we're all together. Surveying, and stuff.

So, I figure…things can't get any worse. I've already hit Rock Bottom, and I'm crawling back up from there. Why would God or The Gods, or whoever, do me so much wrong? Where did this bad karma come from? Gods wouldn't knock their little puppets from their crawling. What good is that?

Nothing can go wrong here. _At least it's not _RAINING!

A thunderclap ripped through the forest and water began to jettison from the jet-black storm clouds.

Edward frowned at me as his bronze hair flattened against his head. "Good job, Nostradamus," he patted my shoulder and trekked forwards.

"He doesn't mean it," Esme confided, and hugged me as we walked.

Edward raised a hand. "Yes, I do."

Rosalie hit Edward.

"Where is the…I don't know…end? Washington is probably the most useless, rainy state in the whole country. I'm so bored…" I said.

"Washington has a rich history and subtropical rainforest, which is integral to survival in this modern age. Appreciate what we have. No matter how boring a state it is. Be happy you're not a pile of ashes somewhere." Edward said, maturely and sagely.

"But you agree that it's a boring state."

"I never said that."

"Yes, you said: 'No matter how boring a state it is.' I HEARD you say it."

"I'm not going to fracas with you about what I know I didn't say."

"But you admit you said it?"

"I admit nothing. I said nothing."

"You obviously said something."

"For the love of God, stop it, you immature buffoon!"

"You stop it, you uptight brat!"

"Shut up." Rosalie said.

I just scowled at him.

Edward latched his arm around my shoulder, "Oh, silly Emmett. I'm just yanking your chain, kid! It's a lot less dangerous than yanking Rosalie's," he looked at the said female fearfully, "You're just the little brother I've always wanted!" He hit me in the shoulder closest to him.

I kept scowling. I had enough little brothering in my life.

"It's not your fault I'm, what, twenty-one years older than you. So, here's a truce, brother Emmett."

"Truce." I muttered.

"So sweet, I might just die. Can you two focus?"

"Rosalie, be nice." Esme chided.

"This _is_ nice," she snapped.

There was a comedic, collective sigh among us. No one dared retaliate, because we were all a bit tired of her unstoppable tirades.

"Who's up for a bite?" Carlisle asked.

I stifled my somewhat immature laughter. "What's with all the teeth references?"

"That was an unfortunate choice of words."

"On the flipside, I am a bit thirsty. A lot."

"Then it's decided."

And it was.

…

One must comprehend that I'm…really messy, when it came to hunting things. How do you do it? I mean, I don't have delicate porcelain fangs to daintily eat things with. I have to tear through stuff porcelain can't manage.

So, I always end up covered in somewhere between 'buckets of' and 'a little' blood. It's not my fault. Someone can blame fate, if they want to. To fight the whole psychological effects of being bloody, I never wore white.

(Today I was wearing blue!)

Anyway…after that little rant, we are still just strolling. The rain seemed to intensify. Which usually was a very bad omen. But that's just little superstitious me!

Then an…unfamiliar scent hits me. It's like…_really _wet dogs. The smell your parents hate when they get you a dog.

Rosalie is good at showing disgust, have I mentioned? "Ugh! I smell dog. Tell me I'm not the only one?"

"No, you're not, little miss sunshine." Edward nodded.

A sick expectant feeling crept from my heels to my stomach. The thought is a pirate's parrot in my head.

Bad omen, braaaaaack! This is a bad omen, braaaaaaaack! Braaaaaack! Pollywannacracker!

Suddenly, an earsplitting howl ripped through the thick misty air.

If not before – this is a baaaaaaaad omen, braaaaaaaaack! Brawhawhaw! – okay?

Edward looked at me, not really wanting to know where the parrot came from, I could tell…

Also very suddenly (things were happening very suddenly), a pretty lady entered our line of vision, at first not really noticing us, but picking an herb very systematically: she'd specifically the herb out a pile that all looked the same, and put it into a basket on her back. It was weird. She was graceful and had lively olive skin, and deep doe-like eyes with long black hair.

By this point in history, we hid already.

I felt no urge to attack the herb-picking-lady. I looked to my left. Edward was shaking. Shaking, like maybe he was stifling laughter, or maybe he had to save his dog from a fire and the burning building was right in front of him.

Braaaaaaaaaack! Baaaaaaad! Braaaaaaaaaack!

"Edward," I hissed, "Get it together!"

He didn't turn to look at me, just kept shaking like it was the bee's knees.

"What's wrong with Edward?" Rosalie whispered.

"I don't know, but-" I cut the sentence as Edward skulked out of space he hid in, towards the innocent herb lady. Oh God!

Esme caught on here. "Edward! What are you doing?"

"Edward, get back here!"

At least it wasn't my fault.

Then he pounced. Except he didn't.

This massive blur of gray wolf hurtled into Edward, and he flew into a big tree.

Now, herb lady finally notices. She screamed, and hopped backwards. I frantically looked at Rosalie. She looked just as frantic, and shrugged.

Rosalie, being the martyr she is, is fed up with everyone doing nothing. She leaped at the wolf and began to hiss and bite.

"Gah," is all I can say. My face must be very amusing right now.

I'm the only Cullen child to stay out of the carnage. Hell no, I was not going in there unless Carlisle told me to. I have a level of honor to uphold, right about now.

So, to make things worse, a whole horde of wolves entered this already-discombobulated scene. Some of them are confused, and some of them are angry. All of them are gigantic, like big as horses, or dragons, or something! That isn't normal!

I notice Rosalie pinning the ten-foot horse-wolf, and about to go for the jugular, then, _only then, _Carlisle crashed into Rosalie, and she fell off and Carlisle fell into her arms. The other wolves are ALL confused AND angry. One of them goes for Edward and Edward (who JUST stood up) goes back down, snarling.

So Esme and I are left, and I know Esme is going to bolt in there, because Carlisle is there too. I am crazy scared right now.

"Esme," I croaked.

"Oh, damn," she cursed.

Esme cursed? Oh, God, things are really bad.

Suddenly. Suddenly a big red wolf howled, and everyone else stopped moving. Esme lifted me up and we quietly entered the scene.

The wolf goes past Carlisle, to Edward, and began to bark and growl in his face.

"How did you even know?" Edward said, and met the horse-wolf's eyes.

The wolf yelped.

"Fine, fine! He, Mr. Ephraim Black," Edward gestured to the big red wolf, "he knows what we are. He knows that we're the cold ones. The bloodsuckers. He's seen others like us before. This guy is the leader of the whole Quileute shebang, right here." Edward translated. Right, mind reading.

This guy, eh?

"We are not the same as the others-" Carlisle began.

The wolf rolled its eyes. I didn't know they could do that. "A likely story." Edward smirked.

"Hear me out, good...sir. We understand we must have just breached…a lot of things. Forgive Rosalie, she's temperamental." He spoke slowly and surely.

Rosalie folded her arms, but said nothing.

The wolf bounced his head up and down, and then looked at me. "What about the bloody boy? That makes you seem very shady."

I wanted to tear my clothes off, if it got me out of this mess.

"That's elk blood. We are not like the other bloodsuckers. We prefer not to…eat…humans…"

The wolf howled angrily. "What just happened, then?"

"I wanted to save my brother from your insane wolf friend." Rosalie muttered.

Carlisle ignored this. "I am not sure what came over him. That, for lack of better words, is all I know how to explain it. I'm sorry. We really should be happy your comrade intercepted before thing escalated into a more bloody battle."

"You are a very wise man. What is your name?"

"My name is Carlisle Cullen, sir. Before things get worse, I think we should make a détente."

"What's a détente?"

"It's, by definition, an agreement made by two countries to initiate peace. I want to make sure as much harmony as possible is restored to you and your people. And us, not to be conceited."

It hit me. My words were so new and assured; they flew out of my mouth. "These guys are all werewolves, aren't they?"

"Don't speak out of turn, Emmett." Carlisle said.

The wolf made a low rumbling noise. "You got it."

I'm really confused. First vampires exist, then werewolves? Okay.

"Offhand. Having secured the fact that you men are not at all like us, but just as threatened if exposed. Understand that we mean no harm. We didn't mean to attack anyone."

The other wolves sensed that the battle phase was over. They were all relaxed in one group behind the red guy.

"I don't believe I will ever trust you, bloodsuckers, but for now and for the good of…everyone…I must assume you are all true to heart."

"I understand."

"Here are my conditions, wise man. One, I don't want you…" Edward trailed, waiting for the wolf to continue. "You, cold ones, to ever trespass on this tribal land, as long as the earth stands. That includes hunting for your meals on them. And two, I know all of your kind isn't as…tame…as you yourselves. That said, never turn another person into a bloodsucker."

"Those conditions are perfectly agreeable."

The wolf came very close to Carlisle and growled. "If you break either of those rules, and we hear about it, the Quileutes will not hesitate to fight you to the death."

"Agreed. We agree. You all agree. Right?" Carlisle asked.

We all quickly nodded. Well, Edward nodded smoothly, slowly. The rest of us were still kind of frazzled.

Ephraim…turned around and flicked his tail. Edward turned around in the opposite direction and began walking. "Get out." Edward said.

* * *

_Rosalie_

This whole horrible day just goes to show…

A vampire isn't made to relax.

I'm always looking over my shoulder. I'm always watching what I do.

For someone who could rule the world, you really have to be frail.

We're standing in the woods, on the un-Quileute side of town. It's stopped raining.

Emmett unbuttoned his shirt and vest and threw them. He climbed some rocks to reach a well-placed shaft of sunlight. He shimmered in the setting sun. Throwing his arms back to worship the sun gods, he exclaimed, "God, the sun is like magic to the skin! Feels great! It's so…warm!" I guess it's good that there's any sun at all.

"Okay Apollo, had your fun?"

Emmett scoff-laughed, and leaped down next to me again.

"You know me, little lady," He held my hand, "We're alone. And I don't feel like I've had my fun today."

I kissed his cheek. "Maybe if I could resist you, I'd decline."

"That's what I like to hear, sunshine."

Sugary, sweetly, the sun opened up on us and we were together.

This was clichéd. I hated clichés.

Emmett's eyes were a somewhat ugly dirt brown-red. They too glittered in the sunset, mesmerizing me.

So maybe…this whole horrible day just goes to show, vampires _in love_ had the chance to be relaxed. I'll take the chance.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

_OKAY: shall we get this straight. Story's not over. It's cool! I meant that Guys and Dolls was over and I was never that good at wording things. Maybe I should change that...but here it is! _

"Not over!"

Now that that's fixed, I hope...Huh, this took like, four days. That's good time. But anyhoo, I can never get through a chapter without something fluffy. Sighhhhhh. But come on, this is a, for the most part, a VERY fluffy story. Deal with that.

I'm finally getting somewhere with this! Woo-hoo! Plus, thanks for reviews and faves! I appreciate 'em. Oh, I'm thinking about writing something else completely different...with dragons. *slapped* Yeah, I know! Maybe that makes me weird. Oh well.

Reviewing is pleasant, but not integral. _I'd really like them…_


	14. But in a Different Kind of Way

_(You Know I Still Adore You, But in a Different Kind of Way)_

* * *

_Emmett_

Have I started my inward rambling by saying, "things were going well" before? But then it goes bad? Well, they, things, were going well. It's 1942, and things are going well.

For sure, this time.

My eyes are pretty now!

That was a momentous occasion, that day. I'm just coming in from a hunt, and Esme stopped me and said, _"Oh, your eyes are so…normal, Emmett!"_

_What do I say to that?_

"_Thank you, Esme."_

No one noticed before her. She's sharp as a tack, I tell you.

Sharp…

"Emmett, I'll be in my room if you want to know." Rosalie said, and promptly kissed my cheek.

I listened to her feet make little clicking noises as she left me.

…I love Esme. She is the mother I always wanted. I hardly remember my real mom, but I imagine she wasn't exactly like her.

I know this sounds cheesy, but she's always there for me. Speaking of…I notice that Esme is the only one in the living room with me. She motioned for me to come over.

"Hi Emmett," she said.

"Hi, Esme," I said.

"Emmett, how are things going?"

"Uh, I'm just surviving, I guess." I babbled.

"That's wonderful. How's Rosalie?"

That wasn't the 'how's Rosalie' that you say to Rosalie, it was the 'how's Rosalie' that you say to the guy closest to her. "Neurotic and beautiful, as usual. Why?"

Esme shrugged innocently. "Oh, things between you two seem different lately."

"Yeah…I see her differently, lately." I fiddled for the words, and I didn't want a word I deemed inappropriate at the time. I wanted Esme to know exactly how I felt. "I…love her. More than usual. I really…really love her. Not as much in the way when I first met her."

"What do you mean?"

"I still think she's a goddess, my angel, but…I think, if it were ever possible, I mean, I think of her as the woman I'd marry. The woman I would, if I could, have my kids with."

Esme sighed happily, in that motherly way. "Oh, Emmett."

"Do I sound like an idiot?" I lowered my head and looked at her expectantly.

"You sound like a man in love, Emmett."

"Is that bad?"

She smiled wisely. "Not for you."

"Oh, okay."

"Listen. You've known each other for a while. You do what you think is good. Love you, Emmett."

"Gee, that was a lot of insight. I know exactly what to do now." I muttered.

Esme laughed. "Yes, you will," with that she hugged me, and left me alone.

Sharp like a tack, I tell ya.

I don't know. I guess I could think it all over. Sounds like something to ruin my "things were going good," right? I need to unwind…what does any normal guy do to unwind?

...

I hid in the basement for a while and raided it for all of the paint I could find.

I have approximately; five cans of standard grade house paint, Rosalie's pastel collection, some black watercolor and a bunch of metallic paints. Minus the paintbrush.

Oh, the thrills I will have!

That and I stole Edward's beret.

I have a five by seven easel.

Let's go. I tore the metal cover of the 'Apple Red' house paint off.

I'm not sure who would paint their house this obnoxious of a red, but it worked, right? I pulled the open can backwards, then swung it at the blank easel. A splash of bright, shiny, red flew like a demon, and I think that only about half of the paint hit the easel. It felt oddly freeing, throwing paint.

I felt even better as I said to myself, "That's for the love."

No one else needed to get it.

To hide the fact from the resident mind reader, I started a little monologue in my head.

_We the people, of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America._

_Article One, Section One: All legislative powers…_

I took the robin's egg blue from Rosalie's pastels, and lobbed it at the easel. It was bright light blue in the middle of the easel, and bright purple where the colors mixed. "That's for…her godliness."

…_Section Five: Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide._

_Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member…_

Next, I took more house paint; the 'Hunter Green' shade.

I repeated the process, and almost exclaimed, "This one's for where we met!"

I took the metallic silver and splattered it. "This for the night."

Next I took the standard grade eggshell white, and instead of throwing it, I dipped my whole hand inside the creamy stuff and dragged my hand down the whole easel, mixing half of the colors together.

"That's for everything."

I was so into my artistic fervor that I did not notice Edward come down the stairs. Before he was all the way down, he asked, "Eh, Emmett? Have you seen my beret? And why the hell did you memorize the Consti-"

I freaked, holding the Flaxen Yellow. It flew out of my hands at Edward.

Edward dodged the can easily, but still got the ricochet of pale yellow paint dots to his left side.

It was quiet for a second. Edward nodded. "What a waste of paint," he said, and left.

Despite Edward killing my zeal a little, I still felt it. "I feel better," I murmured to myself.

* * *

_Rosalie_

I think that I'm a little whimsical when it came to daydreaming. Maybe I'm a serious, goal-oriented person when I'm in the real world, but with myself, I'm not.

_Dreams. What a concept. I mean usually, your dreams are things that will never happen. _Bad Rosalie mulled.

_Au contraire, my sardonic sister. In reality of dreams, at least the ones with the Emmett in them, they are things that are quite plausible._

_When would we try _that _out?_ Bad Rosalie cried, obviously seeing something I wasn't.

_Oh, when we're married…_ Good Rosalie purred suggestively.

There is something wrong with me if that is all I think about subconsciously.

_Please. There IS something wrong with you. Let's look back in retrospect, here. You, a beautiful girl, punished, damned to an eternal bloodlust for the beauty you lived for to begin with. Then, you are forced with a man you never wanted to even like. You still manage to hold your fragile psyche together and save a dimpled kid from a grizzly bear in which you fall in love with._

That is a bit twisted. Thank you Bad Rosalie. It's a little depressing, but it gave me a reality check.

_I live for the reality check,_ _honey._

I felt that they left. The little voices inside my head were always a little more there as time passed.

I felt my conscious self drift into a dream…

_I feel weak. I looked at myself, and saw veins in my wrist and on my hand. I felt for a pulse, and found a harmonious lub-dub of my heart's valves closing and opening. I almost cried. I'm outside on someone's front lawn._

_There is an apple red house behind me, looking normal. Suddenly the door opened. A man in a fedora stepped out, and cried behind him, "No, you can not have a welding torch, Maxine! See you later, shnookums!"_

_The man turned back again and tipped his hat. "Hello, lovely." I reached for the hat and it revealed normal forties-era hair, slicked back and parted, but trying hard to curl. The person under the hat made me feel a great rush of happiness through my veins, fighting for space with the blood that occupied so much of them already. Fearless, amiable, greener-than-green, larger-than-life eyes stared back at me. A big grin grew on his face, creating cute canyons on his cheeks. "Have a wonderful day, lovely," he said. He, my human Emmett, I soon realized, was so different in this world._

_"Have a wonderful day, lovely," I murmured._

_My mind screamed, 'say something else! Want to hear his voice again…'_

_"I love you, Rosalie." Emmett reminded emphatically. His voice was beautiful…scratchy and smooth, imperfect. But better._

_"I love you too." I nodded. He pecked my cheek, and left me on the walkway to my probable house. I didn't go in. Something told me not to…_

God, that was weird.

_Life is weird. So are you._ Good Rosalie pointed out.

Why, thank you!

I shook it off and remembered what I was doing. In my hands was one of Carlisle's blank fabric bound books. I stole it from his study. He's not in there. Specifically, I think he's getting cozy with Esme in the bedroom. I forget they can do that. I forget that people like them could do stuff like that. The thought was another uncomfortable reality check.

There is a picture of a housecat I drew, playing with a mess of yarn. I forgot I could draw so well. Of course I can, I'm perfect.

The tabby cat's tail wasn't all the way shaded. I cast it aside, the urge to sketch felines diminishing. I flipped to another page in the book, another blank page. I just dropped the pencil to the paper and started drawing. It began to reveal itself to me: a sunny field with wildflowers and prairie dogs. I had only seen a prairie dog once before in my life.

I remember hitting it, inaccurately, and Emmett caught it for me. It was scared as hell in Emmett's hands, and it squealed at me.

The memory is deeply embedded in my mind, notwithstanding the obscurity.

The prairie dog is on its hind legs, sticking out of the windy grass. It was cute. I closed the book sighing.

I figure the only thing a bored pretty vampire can do right now is hunt. I leave my room and head downstairs. Edward trudged up the basement staircase looking a bit flustered. His whole left side is covered in yellow pastel paint. …_My_ pastel paint.

"What the hell, Edward?"

He held his hands in defense. "Hey, hey. Don't blame me, blame Picasso down there."

"I don't want to know. Feel like hunting?"

"I'm game, let's go." Edward shrugged.

"Don't you want to change?"

"It's quick-drying. Like I haven't gotten worse things on my shirt?"

I didn't push the matter any further, and Edward and I departed the house.

The pleasing daydream from earlier is throwing thoughts back into my head. I tried to cover it up.

If Peter has seventeen pears for sale, and Walsh buys five, how many does Peter have remaining?

Twelve pears.

Congratulations, Rosalie, you're absolutely correct.

If one could buy 16 ounces of lemons at the Main Street Market for $2.90, but you could buy 48 ounces of lemons at the Clerk Market for $4.72, which is the better deal?

See, if I could set up a proportion, example, 16: 2.9 to 48:4.72, I can divide each denominator by its numerator and the unit rate for each will tell me the better deal. The answer is for the 48 ounces is zero-point-zero-nine-eight-and-three-repeating, but that rounds up to…

Edward smirked as we walked away from the house. "Zero point one? The three-pound deal is worth more. I didn't know you liked lemons," he gestured vaguely at the world.

"I don't," I replied.

"Hmm, really then?"

I realized that I just ratted myself out.

"Yeah."

"What's really on your mind?"

"Red houses and welding torches."

I think my barriers fell or something, because Edward smiles at this. "The way it sounds in your head is a ton less cruel. Your inclination to violence is complying with your words, but not your thoughts."

"It's a weird daydream, Edward. You don't care."

Edward is appalled by my absurdity. "What? Of course I care! _Everything is blackmail, dear_."

"Blackmail is a sin."

"It should be," he said, "but it's too useful."

"Shut up, Edward."

Edward didn't say anything, and that was that.

…

We returned, and Emmett is giggling excitedly. "Sweet Summer, Carlisle! What _is_ it?"

Carlisle patted a big box in the middle of the living room. "_It_, young boy, is a _surprise_!"

"Yeah, it's a surprise, but what kind of surprise_ is_ it?" Emmett bounced up and down like a five year old. Carlisle seized the big box and scooted it across the floor away from Emmett.

"Now, Emmett! If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it son?" Carlisle said good-naturedly. They're both enjoying the trivial game of cat and mouse they're playing.

"Come on! I wanna know, I wanna know, I want to know!"

Emmett lunged for the opening of the box. Carlisle lifted the box and deftly turned it away.

"No! We have to wait until-" Carlisle stopped and moved the box again, "-Mistress Rosalie-" Emmett lunged again and missed, "- and Master Edward return from their hunt!"

I think Carlisle knew we were just standing there, emitting scents and microscopic floorboard creaks. Emmett seemed a little caught up.

"Can I at least shake it?"

Carlisle held the box above his head in horror. "Goodness, no! You'll break it!"

"Well let me see it, then!" Emmett replied impatiently.

"Emmett –" Carlisle began but turned around convincingly surprised. "Why hello! Glad you've finally shown up! We can open it now, Emmett!"

"Oh God, yes! Finally!"

"Esme, come see this!"

Esme ran into the living room. "Ah, yes! The box!"

So, we're all crowded around this box, wondering what's inside it. Well, I'm not sure if Edward knew or not, but he was doing well at looking like he didn't.

Carlisle tore the box open with a flourish and lifted the large…thing…out effortlessly.

"What exactly is it?"

"This, lovely people, is a television. It shows, _shows_, on it. It only has about four channels, but I'm sure you guys'll love it!" Carlisle explained.

It sat lifeless on the floor. Carlisle plugged it into an outlet.

"Let you people get to that. Enjoy!"

I am intrigued. I had only heard about these things before. It was really nice looking. I begin to inspect its technical aspects, but then I feel a hand push me with ease away from the television.

"Oh…it's great! What do you think we can watch?" Emmett petted the television like a child or a pet.

Edward was all in this action too. "I assume we can watch the news. As for those three numerous channels still lurking in mystery, I haven't a clue as to what we can watch. We should check."

"Right, right!" Emmett nodded.

"I hear it has a channel where there are these mice, and they dance a lot. Maybe we can find it?" Esme added.

"That would be great!"

They murmured about this machine like it's the best thing since sliced bread.

The vainest recesses in my head are crying for some attention._ No,_ (sob), _I'm the best thing since sliced bread! You are all so hurtful!_

Well, if modern technology is better to them than me, I'm retiring for the night.

Hmmph!

I silently ambled up the staircase to my room and shut the door.

Tonight is one of the nights I wish I could just fall asleep.

So is life.

…

What do I do…on a frigid Saturday morning in Forks? The only thing I can do to keep the Insanities out of my head.

The candle sat modestly on the wood floor of my room. The candle flickered occasionally, left to right, right to left…

The normal individual scents of Charbonneau's candle enter my nose.

Pennyroyal. Chamomile. Pine. Freesia. Maple. Spring water. Spanish Moss. I felt an anticipatory butterfly in my stomach, as those scents mingled together, finding their place.

I just kept thinking…I'm in a river. The river is raging. The river is deep. The sun is gone, covered with a heavy blanket of gray clouds. I bobbed up and below the raging river water. But something new happened…my trance self was out of the river, running, running. I think, that this cloudy new place wasn't Forks, or Tupper Lake, or Rochester or anywhere I've ever been. At the same time, I knew where I was.

Ireland?

Yes…I think. The place was greener-than-green, and larger-than-life, and there was the river I ran along next to me. Then the voices came, but not mine. _Rosalie, Rosalie,_ they cried. Not they, she. Just she. I kept running forwards, that was where she called me.

_Pretty cold girl! Little woman! Keep running,_ she called.

Then I tripped. I _never_ trip. The river curved sharply to the right, and I found my face in a bed of vivid wildflowers. A pair of feet stood in front of me. An ankle had a daisy chain around it.

_Ah, my pretty cold girl! Stand up…_ I stood, and faced a pretty girl. She had these sleepy green all-knowing eyes. The flowers. There were these flowers, everywhere. In her blonde, the same pretty shade as mine, hair there were wildflowers, around her neck, just…crazy flowers everywhere. I hadn't a clue who she was…she could have been Good Rosalie in disguise for all I knew. That would bite.

_Rose girl…_

Oh, am I Rose girl? This meditation was weird, with the whole plot of it. This stuff never had plots. Never were really daydreams more than just relaxing. Lately, the dreams came from nowhere, like right now.

_Heed my word, Rose girl…you should…_ The flowery girl looked up, away, as if to put this into words for a puny vampire like me. _…do whatever he asks of you. Do you understand, little cold girl?_

Until when? Who? I don't understand.

_Good, my pretty girl. Splendid…_

And like that, I blinked, and the flowery river girl was gone like that. How…clichéd. My trance feet brought me towards the curve in the river, into the cerulean water to the deepest part of it, and the sweet smell of maple surrounded me. The other fragrances separated away and it was me, lying next to that periwinkle candle.

_Weird stuff happenin' in Rosalie's World?_ Vampire Rosalie yawned.

Weird stuff is always happening in Rosalie's World.

_Yeah, I bet. Just for kicks, do you know what the flower lady was talking about?_ Vampire Rosalie chuckled.

What? _You_ do?

I _know everything. I'm the part of you that is the smartest, of course._

Yeah, okay. Whatever. Where are the other two?

_Huh, aren't you just the caring person? They're probably fighting, but to be honest I don't really care._

Well, tell me what happened.

_You serious? I'm not just going to,_ reveal, _the meaning of that whole dream to you. I'll give you a hint, but you owe me big time._

I owe myself nothing. Talk.

_Take everything you know into context. Ireland, rivers, somewhat mythical flowery mirror image of yourself… Now listen to this: The 'he' from the flower girl is the most important he you know._

My mind is jumbled and fuzzy and context and being an investigator wasn't my idea right now.

_I'm done. I'm breaking protocol as it is. Have fun with that._

* * *

_Emmett_

This television thing is probably the best thing…

Ever.

It is like, all of my dreams, in a box. With sound! The best part is that there WAS a cartoon with not just dancing mice. There was a plot, and those neat eyes on all of the characters, and there were horses and dogs, and other animals…and…_Rosalie_…

Oh God. Oh God!

This isn't my dream in a box. All of my dreams are upstairs. This television is nothing! Nothing at all. My little lady is upstairs, probably very wrathful. I'm surprised that she hasn't just destroyed the television yet.

Maybe you guys should just get married before you do something you can't take back, yeah? I mean, you have to live with these people for a long time, might as well make the best of it, yeah?

Edward's eyes slowly left the television to rest on me.

"Emmett," after this his words are impressively quick and soft, "are you thinking of marrying Rosalie?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. Yes."

"Well, I'm all for it. I'm not really sure if _you _want to, though. Maybe you want to speak with Carlisle."

"Yeah…maybe I should, Edward."

"But then again, if it's so damn important, no one else's opinion should matter," he said, and returned his attention to the television.

…There's good old Ed, being a genius again.

How was I going to do this? I just wanted to be with my angel. No frills, except if Rosalie enjoyed frills. Then we could do frills.

Unfortunately, I don't have a sparkling diamond ring I can just pull out of my pocket and reminisce about how I found it at the bottom of the Ohio River. So, we're just going to be normal and buy one. What a concept.

I should get kicking.

…

You know, maybe right now, simplicity is key.

It is best.

And damn, if Rosalie ever wanted another wedding, I'll give her exactly what she wanted then. Well, if she doesn't reject me the first time, right?

Heh. I'm not nervous, or anything.

No…

Why would I even BE nervous?

This is all very sudden, a very sudden idea, but it's only proposing to the most temperamental, beautiful, vampire in known existence. Come now, everyone does that.

Everyone does that.

I have spent the last ten hours ring-browsing and deliberating…but not in that order. Well, it was in that order for a few hours…

Does this happen to every man?

Yeah, of course it does!

I'll just think about something else. Well, this ring, the one that's creating a lot of worry for me, is across from me on the kitchen table.

Oh, buck up, Emmett, it's been seven years. Like she hates you, or something. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. No woman can resist you...

"Hey, Emmett," Rosalie entered the kitchen from behind me. I snatched the black box off of the table and grinned.

"Why, good afternoon, little lady!" I chuckled nervously.

"Same to you. How's that television going?" I could taste the spite in those words.

That made me a little uncomfortable. "Oh, uh, it has a nice picture quality. There's a channel with cartoons on it."

She resisted sneering. "That's wonderful, honey."

My words are in as much pain as me. "Yeah," I croaked.

"Ah, well, it's time for my weekly crossword puzzle." The change of topic made her brighten up significantly. "Do you have a pencil, I can't seem to locate one."

"Not that I know of, but I'll look for one, right now okay?"

"It's okay-"

"No, I think there's one on the counter. I'll get it!"

Rosalie put a finger in the air to halt me, but gave up. I pushed a bunch of miscellaneous papers on the counter out of the way, which revealed a perfect Number 2 pencil. I handed it to her.

"Uh, thank you. Are you okay, babe?"

"Am I okay," I scoffed, and fell back into the chair across from her, "Che, I'm perfectly peachy."

"If you say so…"

The moments passed, and they passed nicely and sweetly. I just kept staring at her. Maybe I should apologize…

"Emmett? Is there something in my hair?"

"No, why?"

"You're just staring."

"No, you're just beautiful."

"You're too good to me, Emmett."

"I wish I were better."

"No one has treated me better than you, so don't give yourself a panic attack, okay?" She penciled a word into the puzzle.

"Okay, well…can I apologize for thinking the television was more important than you?"

Rosalie looked at me from behind the puzzle book. "What, you think I was angry?"

"Uh, yeah. I did. It was a little obvious."

I think if she could have right now, she'd have blushed from embarrassment. "I guess it was kind of obvious. So, yeah, you can apologize."

"I'm sorry."

"And it's okay."

Grated washes of relief splashed over me, dark then light in my soul.

It was silent, at least between us. The only noise in the kitchen was the scrawling on the paper.

"Oh, I need to ask Edward about this one."

"What is it?"

"You can't do crossword puzzles, though."

"Try me, sweetie."

The swishing of love made me do stupid things. Like embarrass myself in front of my girl.

"What's a ten letter word for 'dark?'"

The word popped out of nowhere. "Caliginous, lovely." I placed my head on my hands and kept staring, longingly.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow and skeptically scribbled the word into the puzzle. "Ha, it worked," she didn't smile. Then she did after a moment, "Do it again."

"Okay…" If I was good, then let it be known. It was a little nice to be good at something so intelligent-seeming.

"Seven letter word for 'calm.'"

I dug through my head, trying to come up with something. It came. "A halcyon. The word is halcyon."

"Wow, you're really good at this."

"Only for you."

"Okay, okay… 'Means sun in Welsh, also means to pull.'"

"Haul."

"I give up, you're good at these."

"Gee thanks."

"Gee you're welcome."

Emmett, do this tonight. Propose to the angel. What's there to lose? Uh, more of my dignity? No, in fact, you have no more face to save, pretty boy.

I ran a hand through my hair, and after staring at the liquid golden waves of Rosalie, my mess of hair felt like death and fur and sandpaper. She says I look so pretty; but her hair is perfect and stuff. Sometimes life is funny like that.

I slammed my hands down on the table. "Let's go somewhere!"

Rosalie doesn't react to this very much. "Where would you want to go today?" She penciled another word onto the puzzle.

"Anywhere. Everywhere. Wherever. Elsewhere. I don't really know, but I want to go with you."

Rosalie's brow furrowed, like she was going to decline assuredly, but it went away. "That's real sweet. But where will we go?"

"We're going camping."

It was as if I said, "We're going to go murder all the townspeople of Forks, then we're going to laugh about all of it!"

"That is the most preposterous idea I have EVER heard."

"Don't knock it-"

"'Til I've tried it? Fuck no. I have a life."

"Rosalie, that was really vulgar of you."

"Yeah, but you're not defending your idea, are you?"

"But _I am_," I assured. I ran around the table to her, "Imagine, if you will, the starry sky at night…the feeling of a northerly wind just caressing your golden locks…falling asleep next to your sweetheart, knowing you're just a little speck of vampire in a universe of anything…the taste of my lips…"

Rosalie made a pout-snort that sounded like she was trying to impersonate Esme trying to impersonate the Queen of England. "That last one had nothing to do with nature."

"Yeah, but it helped, right?"

"No. I'm not going to sleep in the wilderness with you. _I'm_ not going to…"

I tried to pull off some puppy-dog eyes. "Please, little lady? For me?"

She bit back a smile. "Fine! We'll do it, okay?"

"Oh, great! I love you so much!" I hugged her.

"Would you have said that if I said no?"

"I love you whether you hate camping or not, Rosalie."

"Just checking. You know I like to keep you on your toes."

…

I packed a day or two's worth of clothing, and made sure the box was still in my pocket.

Surprisingly, Rosalie packed the same amount.

But it was all very discreet. Rosalie just mentions, "We're going out, don't expect us back for a day or two."

And Esme goes, "Okay, then. Bye you two."

Edward just looked at me, like, 'if you come home not-engaged, I WILL laugh at you.' So now we're in the garage, ready to go.

I opened the passenger door for Rosalie and she puts her hands on her hips, like…"Emmett, what are you doing?"

I came very close to her face, my lips millimeters away from hers. "I'm driving. And you aren't, little lady."

Her eyes looked kinda woozy, but she held her own. "Who said?"

I kissed her in the way that began quickly, but lasted long. I pulled away and whispered, "I did."

The roads are nice. It's about that time of summer where the sun set when you wanted it to. It was only four in the afternoon, far from the sunset's time, but time passed quickly when you were me.

"I can't believe I'm actually going with you, to do this." Rosalie said, and looked out the side window.

"Well I can. I'm so excited!"

"The things I do for other people…"

"Yeah, you are such a volunteering person."

"Yeah, I know!"

"Are you serious?" I looked at her, and then at the speedometer. Eighty-seven.

Rosalie looked at me, a rebuttal; "Are _you_ serious?"

The fire of her gaze pummeled my witty riposte into submission.

"So where are we going?"

"Good question. But I'm thinking there's going to be some trees. And rocks. And dirt."

"I wouldn't have guessed…" I smiled slightly at her comment. She added on suspiciously, "Is there any reason why you forced me on this stupid trip?"

Play it cool, pretty boy. "What? What! No. Well, first off, you came on your own free will, and two, there is absolutely no reason at all. Maybe it's because women like you need a dose of nature."

"Are you insinuating that I'm not up-to-par with your standards? I'm not _good enough_?"

What? NO! "What? No way. Why are you being so critical of my words?"

Rosalie shrugged. "I think it was that goddamned television, messing with my head."

"Well, relax. Okay? We're just driving…feel that? It's…pavement. It shouldn't induce head-messed-with-ness."

The car zoomed past the Welcome to Oregon sign.

"This seems far enough from anyone who cares, eh?"

"Em, everyone cares about a blonde bombshell and her gorilla of a boyfriend with muscles the size of large ferrets. This is America. But sure, to answer your question."

"Large ferrets? That one I haven't heard. Wait, Em?"

She raised one perfectly formed eyebrow. "Oh, you caught that?"

"Well, yeah. You know I'm extra-super-sensitive to name changes." I stopped at a red light.

"You should be happy you're not something worse. I was never into nicknames, until you showed up. I still think I'm not into them."

"Speaking of, I believe that little lady is getting old," I proposed, and Rosalie met my eyes in horror. "I think you're so…not little anymore. You're this mature lady, grown and beautiful. Call it clichéd, but you are so much better than little."

"Maybe I'm just Rosalie?"

"No, nononono! You are too good for just…Rosalie. You can be my…"

"Oh God, Emmett." I reaccelerated.

"You are my Rosie-posy!"

"That is the stupidest name ever."

"That isn't up for discussion, Rosie-posy."

"Well, it sounds like I'm your pet mouse or something."

I gave a 'don't try to get me to reconsider because you are my Rosie-posy forever and ever' look.

"I hate mice," she added.

"So do I," I said.

"Just keep driving, Emmett."

"Okay," I replied feebly.

So, we decide that we're vampires and we can walk to anywhere we wanted to go, so we parked the car in a lot and continued on foot.

It turns out that vampire camping is a lot more simple than human camping. No need to build a fire, no need to bring food, we technically didn't need a tent, no need to fish for trout, no need for something to protect yourself with. It amused me. Life is changing like that, making things easier once you stop caring about them.

It's twilight, and it never got old, like reading a book you like over again.

We left the little space we deemed a campsite, to just walk. I haven't quote-unquote just-walked in a very long time.

The black box is still in my pocket, feeling like Excalibur or the Sorcerer's Stone, screaming, Use me!, Use me!, Give me away and do something!

But we didn't say anything. It was silent banter. I folded my arms across my chest, and looked up, into the sky, seeing the uneven silhouettes of trees outlining the sunset-y, twilight-y sky.

Rosalie pried my right arm away from my left and held onto it, like a teddy bear or a mother's arm. I didn't recoil; I just enjoyed her touching me. She purred, and leaned on me as we walked.

How was I going to do this? Just wait for that perfectly opportune moment…how will you know? I'll just know.

I'll just know. Of course it'll come to me in a flash of knowing where I'll just know.

It was just a little walking roundabout thing for us. A perfect internal positioning system I had prevented getting lost. I always know where I am. I always knew where I was.

On the cusp of the forest, where it ended and reached out into a jagged cliff, we reached.

All that was left of the sun was an orange glow above the horizon of the world, surrounded by blue and purple and red.

"Rosie-posy?" My voice is stale from the silence.

"Yes, Em?"

"I love you so much. Serious. With all my heart. My dead heart."

"My dead heart adores you too. Serious," she smiled and looked me dead in the eye.

It was the sweetest feeling I've ever felt so far in my life, but not the knowing one. So I hugged her with all my might, and she hugged back, and I think things could only get _that much better._

I'm so happy. Then I felt something else. The dynamic force of_ do-it now!_ began to rush through my whole being.

"Rosalie?" I slipped out of the hug.

"Yes, Emmett?"

"Rosie-posy…the love of my life…you wouldn't want to," I got down on one knee, and I was going to pass out I swear (forget the vampire jargon, I WAS going to pass out), my left hand reached for the black box and the five fingers alone managed to pry it open, revealing a God-knows-how-many-carats-I-just-know-it-cost-a-lot diamond ring, and I finished, "marry me, would you?"

Rosalie looked blank, then confused, and then she began to hyperventilate and run her fingers through her hair. "Oh my God, oh Emmett, oh…"

I grinned. Seeing a flustered Rosalie is the best Rosalie. She seemed human and imperfect right now.

"Yes! Yes, of course! Oh my goodness, yes!" She hopped up and down, waving her hands in front of her face. The dynamic force mixed itself into a feeling unlike any other, of mere happiness, and something more than happiness and love and night and life and everything. It was beauty and the saccharine caramelized sugar I lived for and Iowa and water and-and-and…

She, still unbelievingly, plucked the ring out of the box and tried to put it on her finger. Her hands were shaking and she hit her pinky and her middle finger, but not her ring finger. I got off my knees and held her hands with mine, and I slipped the ring on the correct finger. "You've got it, sweetheart."

"Oh, I never thought you do this, I always thought you'd never ask, I thought it would never happen and you did it, and I love you, I love you I love you I love you!" Rosalie leaped onto me, a big happy hug. It seemed that she wanted to just hold me and kiss me. She placed sloppy, in-the-moment, joyful kisses on any part of me she could easily reach. My face, my arms, my hands, my neck. I kissed back, because I was just as happy.

"I love you too," I said. But it wasn't any 'I love you too' I ever said before. It was an 'I love you too' that was special and different. Unexplainably different.

"We should get back, Rosie-posy, before your clothes get ransacked or something."

Rosalie grinned. "What about yours?"

"No one would want mine," I pointed out.

"Ha, I would!"

"You're biased."

"I know!"

I began to turn, to start back, and then I feel weight on my back. "Rosalie, why are you on my back?"

"Because I want a piggy-back ride!"

"Okay?"

"Go, monkey man!"

I felt her arms wrap around my neck and her legs close around my torso, and I held them. "Let's go, then!" I ran as fast as I could, faster than ever, probably faster than ever possible for my body, just for now. I was fueled by happiness.

The trees and the rocks and the green, gray, and brown passed effortlessly. "This is so fun, Em!" Rosalie squealed.

"Yeah, I know, Rosie-posy!" I screamed back.

And I ran.

Once we got back, it was already deep into the night. So maybe I ran past the campsite a few ten times.

We were both dizzy from spinning and speeding and general euphoria. I felt so crazy.

Rosalie crawled off my back and stumbled forward, giddy.

"Oh Lord, let my feet carry me still! Haha!" she giggled, "This was an awesome afternoon, lovely."

"Yes, it was," I agreed.

I just fell forward, and crawled towards my stuff. Rosalie laughed and grasped my collar from behind me. "Where are you going? You're sleeping with me, sugarplum!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"But we don't sleep."

"And that's perfectly fine," she said, and pulled me closer.

Then, my perfectly amber eyes met her perfectly amber eyes, and the giddiness morphed into seriousness. "That's perfectly fine," I said. Her arms slipped around me and I returned the favor, pulled even more.

"You're perfectly fine," Rosalie kissed my cheek.

"Thank you very much, Rosie-posy." I whispered.

…

Two days in the wilderness and a marriage proposal can really change a person, you know?

Rosalie is like, animated. She's happier than I am. Which is weird.

And the ring, it's not _that_ exciting, but Rosalie goes and shows it off to _everyone _back at the house.

"God, Rosalie, it's wonderful and I'm happy for you, but you're _blocking Chip and Dale and you need to move_." Edward said. Man, don't mess with his cartoon schedule. You might get hurt.

"Oh Rose, you're so grown up! Your choice in men is so good!" Esme squealed, and then Rosalie squealed, "He's so dreamy, and he's so nice, and I love him so much!" Then they both started squealing and hugging.

Maybe I always just notice when they do this, but I swear, _women_.

Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder, which only meant something really good or really bad happened. "I'm so glad she's found her mate, a soul mate. She's needed someone like you for a long time."

I'm embarrassed by all this attention. "Someone like me?" I squeaked.

"Why, of course Emmett."

"Uh, thank you Carlisle. I appreciate your praise."

Carlisle scoffed. (Carlisle scoffs?) "Most men would kill to be you, son." I love how I'm the son. Edward may be the 'poster child' around here, but I'm happy with being the 'men would kill to be you' son.

Rosalie is walking on air towards me. "Emmett, we've got some planning to do!"

"Yeah…" I began, but Rosalie is like a motorboat.

Edward smirked, he mouthed 'Good job, man.' Then he gave me this, 'yeah, you wish you could watch Chip and Dale, but you have to plan a wedding. Have fun with that,' look.

"So I think there should be blue, because you look really good in blue…"

Sometimes life is funny like that.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Gah, I'm so happy I finished this! I usually am, actually. Well, thanks for reviews and stuff. Ohmigosh, you know what a stretch it would be if I managed to get 37 reviews? That'd be flipping awesome. But a stretch. You know, I don't think I edited this very well, it's long and my attention span is getting smaller every day. So, excuse me for any mistakes, buddies.

On the anyhoo, I am not going to have fun with next chapter cause I've only been to like…3…weddings before and they are all not very pleasant experiences. Wow, awkward times in Phoenix Land. And yes – the long awaited arrival of Alice and Jasper will come. In completely unrelated news, I got the newest Bloc Party CD! YAY! Just thought I'd say that, cause I've been waiting for it for a hella long time. So, I munna keep on writing.

You know the drill, review if you want to…blah, blah, blah…


	15. Marry the Man Today

_(Marry the Man Today, Give Him the Girlish Laughter, Give Him Your Hand Today, and Save the Fist For After…)_

* * *

_Rosalie_

I really liked the color purple, all my memorable human life, but after I always liked blue. The fact that Emmett looked like…a god, in simple terms, in any shade of blue only added fodder to fire. I sound obsessive, and I was. It set off the amber in his eyes, and lit a fire on his skin, and a storm of just…sweetness…on his pretty immature face. Blue was wonderful.

So I planned all of this to be blue. Like the ocean. Or the sky. Or maybe lapis lazuli. Blue was nice. And Emmett's responses were between; "Okay," and "Whatever works for you, honey/baby/Rosie-posy."

He didn't do much. And that was fine. Because _I _sure as hell don't see Emmett as an interior designer. _Oh, yeah, I can totally see this room, a…peachy color. Or maybe more Versailles. Very Versailles, can you see that?_

I feel disturbingly calm. On the other hand…

The voices are not calm.

_Oh my God oh my God oh my God! I can't believe this is all happening._

Bad Rosalie fake coughed, _cough-hack, happening in twelve hours, hack-hack._

_Good God, don't remind me. It's all so crazy stressful. Are you ready?_ Vampire Rosalie put a hand through her hair.

_I hate weddings. They're so…orchestrated and weird and sweet and proper. I look forward to it being over as quick as possible. How about that?_

_What about everything after the wedding?_

_Like what?_ Bad Rosalie murmured with her ever-present somnolent drowsiness.

Well…

_Like the loooooooovey-dovey-ness of it all?_

_Like the gratuitous sex?_

Like the inevitable swimming that'll occur?

_I will alert the paramedics. And the Coast Guard. God save us all._

My room is moonlit like Mother of Pearl, glowing and white. It's midnight. Or maybe 12:07, but for all lyrical purposes, it's midnight. Honestly, nighttime was never my favorite part of the day. I always preferred the early morning, because it made me feel like I could fall out of bed new and weak and human. But that's just a sweet pipe dream. We all needed a pipe dream and that one was mine.

Other than the longing for things I couldn't have…

I felt like a goddess right now. Emmett always called me stuff like that, but you know, men say everything and I've heard all of it. The thing was, I really felt like one. Maybe it's because I'm wearing all white? All silky white?

It was always a dreamy freeze frame for me to be standing in a ray of silvery moonlight in a silk nightgown. It never happened. So it was weird and surreal, and…nice when it did.

I realize that there were never stars in Forks. Maybe the clouds ate them. Maybe Forks isn't good enough for giant balls of fire in the sky? I don't know. It was random.

In fact, the sky wasn't even blue at night. It was gray. Dark, sick, gray. The moon had to use all of its strength to even show up. It was always like Halloween, seeing the tendrils of forlorn looking clouds trying to wrap around the big white orb.

I didn't want to work myself up by fussing over the moon, of all things, the night before my wedding. On the other hand, I didn't want to work myself up about that either. I'm forcing myself to pen the panic up somewhere until I can't hold it in anymore.

There was a light drizzle outside my window, and maybe if I didn't want to get wet, I would sit on the sill and I'd look out at the sylvan landscape that relaxed me so. I did that sometimes. I settled for opening the window, and looking out.

The light night breeze ruffled the robe I wore, and I felt a little more relaxed.

I wondered how truly lax I could get. I felt calm enough…how low could I go?

My windows had thick long windowsills, so that anyone could sit on them comfortably. I remember pushing Emmett out of them a few times. Like a cat, he always landed on his feet.

"Psst! Rose?" The voice is from above me. I know who it is.

"Emmett? Where are you?" I lean out, and call from the window.

"I'm on the roof. I'm coming to see you!" he whispered from the roof.

"Emmett…"

"No time for reconsideration," he denied. He laughed shortly after.

I pulled my head in, and tied the robe. By God…

Gracefully, he fell onto my windowsill in a crouch, then jumped inside. He wasn't trying to look good at night, just in his signature trousers-with-a-belt-but-no-shirt getup. And that was okay, because he didn't need one. He stood in the weird moonlight, looking like a rugged barbarian. Only it was a lot sexier.

"What were you doing on the roof, anyway?" I asked.

Emmett rubbed the back of his head, and smiled a little in the dark. "Uh, just looking at stuff. I was kind of bored. I get bored."

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"You're marrying him, you know that?" he countered smoothly.

"That is true," I can't help the smile on my face.

I glanced out the window, back at the moon, the third participant of this conversation, who was so rudely interrupted by my fiancé.

A short silence fell upon us.

"Rosalie?"

"Yes?"

"Edward and Carlisle don't want me to see you now, even though that whole tradition of not-seeing-you-before-the-wedding, begins come sunup. They're being a little strict about it. I think it's unfair. They can't tell me what to do…besides, I still have to function without you for a good twelve hours, which is an," he held my hand, "eternity."

"Twelve hours is only twelve hours, Em. Tomorrow'll be the best day of your life, and you're being greedy about it."

Emmett looked mock-hurt. "Greedy how?"

The inner seductress kicked in somewhere. "Greedy as in, you don't have to see me now. You just have to know…" I surreptitiously slid my tongue across my bottom lip, "I'll make tomorrow the most wonderful day of your life by being your wife, and I'll give you the best night of your life by doing things you've only dreamed of, sugarplum."

Emmett swallowed tensely. "I dream about a lot of things, Rosie-posy."

I traced his collarbone with my finger and felt the back of his neck with my other hand. "I'm completely aware. You just have to wait…"

"One more night? Come on, we could do it right now and no one would ever know!"

I am so amused. "I would know, and that's enough people. Besides, there's no magic that way, silly," I slipped my arms around him, and put my head on his bare chest.

He scoffed disbelievingly. "Magic, shmagic. It's about love."

"Emmett, did you come down here to convince me that?"

"No. It's not my fault – you put the thoughts in my head."

I laughed. "Yes, I did. It's not like I'm not excited, Emmett. Trust me, I'm counting the seconds."

Emmett let his head down, but looked up at me with his big golden eyes. "You're real good at hiding it."

"I know. Relax. Once you leave me, I can assure you that no one will let you back, whatever the time. So you might as well make it worthwhile."

"What the hell does that mean?"

I lifted my head and kissed his forehead. And that one kiss turned into a series of small kisses down his face. And in turn, that turned into a lip lock. There, I melted a little.

And the moon shied away from the love, covering itself with a blanket of slate clouds, leaving us in a veritable darkness.

In a moment, I find myself under him on my bed, resisting (because I'm so controlled) removing the impudent pieces of clothing between us. I felt his lips on my neck, and then they're on my lips, then I felt teeth on my ear. The horribly thin silk nightgown feels like an itchy wool sweater under my robe. Ah, speaking of, I feel Emmett's hand untying the small hell of a knot – I purposely tied just to stop this from happening – around my waist, in a series of twists and pulls. His other hand is preoccupied with tangling itself in my hair.

Just like that, my robe is loose, and his knot-untying hand is crawling up my thigh. It felt so nice. But…I can't. Tough cookies.

I hit his arm, and choked back a moan. "Emmett. Emmett. Emmett, fall back."

He snapped out of his trance and fell off me, to the other side of my bed. "God. I'm sorry, Rose. A bit too far, eh? I realized that. Forgive me for my impishness, but, it's so hard to stop myself."

"One more night," I whispered.

"One more night," he repeated. I turned in to him, and he held me from behind.

An owl hooted outside the window. Slowly his hands slid away from my waist and we just were there, on the bed.

"Goodnight, Rosalie," he said after a while.

"Goodnight, Emmett. I love you."

Emmett stood, and I did too. He tied a bow on my robe, and kissed my cheek. "Love you too," he whispered, and slipped out the window. I wonder where he was going, or if he just didn't want to go the normal way?

…

Today is the day. I don't know what else to say, honestly. The panic hasn't set in yet.

I don't have a morally enriching simile or a sweet murmuring of worries yet. I'm just Rosalie Hale, in a wedding dress.

_You look good._ Bad Rosalie said. The scary thing was that I think she meant that.

_And she does. And she's right. You look flawless!_ Vampire Rosalie agreed. Good Rosalie nodded quickly in agreement.

Flawless, eh? Aw, shucks.

I stood in front of this gigantic mirror in Esme's room, and I guess I did look quote-unquote flawless. I felt a little exposed, because I had no sleeves. I got used to wearing sleeves. I realize how nice and precise my shoulders were. With the collarbones perfectly aligned, and the creamy pale skin the perfect shade to accent my eyes…

"Rose?"

As if, because I'm getting married, it's like no one has to call me Rosalie anymore…

I see Esme in the mirror, looking worried and assuring at the same time from the doorframe. She waved. "Rosalie, you look wonderful." She found her way next to me. We were close to the same height, give or take a few inches. I looked a little less pale in the white dress, yet Esme looked extra-pallid in her bright sea blue dress.

We stood for a good 20 seconds, silent, and then Esme said, "I still have to do your hair, if that's fine with you?"

I snapped out of whatever little look-at-me stupor I was in. "Ah, yes, right."

A frenzied pound-_pound_-pound on the door startled me. Before there was an actual comment directed to us, we heard some arguing outside the wooden door.

"How did you leave your tie in there?" Edward.

"I'm thinking about keeping everything under control, kids. Cut me some slack!" Carlisle.

"There will be no slack-cutting here! Just get the damn piece of fabric. It's blue and important!" Emmett. His voice is like gold to my ears. He's so in-control...

Esme hissed. "Carlisle…"

This time the sentence was directed to us. "Will everyone just take a deep breath?"

I longed for a little glimpse of Emmett, and maybe if I got close enough to the door…

"Don't even think about it," Edward called.

Esme looked a little miffed. But just a little, 'cause everyone knows if you cut Esme open, you'd find rainbows and candy and maybe a trick pony or something. She, to the contrary, did not take a deep breath.

Carlisle laughed nervously. "Esme dearest? Can you just, grab that nice blue tie, on the nightstand?"

Both of our eyes slowly moved to look at the nightstand, where the tie was perched, lying neatly on the table. Esme reached over and snatched it, like a hawk to a fish.

She opened the door and threw the tie outside. It hit something or someone really hard. "Stop bothering us, we have things to do!" She slammed the door, shaking the foundation of the house. Then she turned and smiled with an innocent shrug, "Oh, _men_."

"Yeah…men." I said, attempting to try to mask my horror.

"Okay, so I have this wonderful idea for your hair! Something bouffant-esque, eh? You'd look good with your hair up. Like Marie Antoinette, only better."

I touched my hair and nodded. And all I can think is, _damn_,who ever thought Esme could get _angry_ with other _people_?

* * *

_Emmett_

"I think you might be married to the most bipolar woman ever," I said with a shudder that began burlesque but ended authentically.

Edward chuckled warmly. "Look who's talking?" he sang. I sent a half-hearted glare Edward's way.

"You say that as if she's always like that!" Carlisle said, one-fourth annoyed, one-fourth amused and two-fourths insulted. "I don't know what Rosalie did to her, but she's kind of scary this way. All like…"

"Like anyone's mother before their daughter's wedding?" Edward finished.

"Yes," Carlisle nodded, "like that, perhaps."

We all sighed, a funny mix of carbon dioxide, boredom, and impatience filling the study.

I was sprawled across his Psychiatrist's couch-er-whatever. All I know is that it was really comfy. Actually, I think I read somewhere that it's called a Freud's Couch. But, who cares? Edward was curled up in an armchair, resembling a big deer, or a small-necked giraffe, hold the awkwardness. And Carlisle resembled my stereotype of any British guy in a tall chair. You know, legs folded, arms gripping the arms of the chair like he is on top of the world.

Typical male bonding, I can assure you. Grade A stuff, I'll tell you.

"So, Emmett, are you excited?" Edward muttered, like it's proper etiquette to ask me that, like he's obliged and he's keeping it oblique.

"On the inside I am, but I don't look like it."

"Ah, is that it?" Edward grinned like a fox. His eyes met Carlisle's and then they both looked like foxes.

"Yes, Emmett, you must be thrilled, eh?" Carlisle smirked.

It is bad, there is a devious plot somewhere, if Carlisle is smirking at me.

"I mean, wedding, no sweat! But what about after?" Edward added, "Just you and her?"

I gave them sleepy unknowing looks.

"The heat," Carlisle mentioned.

"The clothes causing you so much trouble?"

"And us, not annoying you?"

"Yeah, sure." I threw in, to keep them entertained.

"There is a place, far away…" Edward began, "you know, somewhere off the coast of Brazil," he added quickly.

"Where I took my Esme when I married her. It was a gift. It's a really very beautiful island…"

I feel that here is where those comments began to make my suit feel tight and weird.

"What the hell are you two getting at?"

"We figure she's a screamer," Edward said, like it is the most normal thing you can say to your friend. And it took me a few seconds to grasp what they meant by that.

"We both do," Carlisle said. Okay, perverse askance comments from Ed is expected, but Carlisle agreeing with them was completely off the wall.

"And we don't want to deal with it."

"Your explosion of penned-up lust and love that is bound to be the soundtrack of our lives for a good two or three years. And probably a lot more years after that."

"We're not saying you have to leave forever."

"Just take my island for your honeymoon."

Oh, sure, guys! This is SO nice of you!

"I'm going to take this as one big compliment, guys. Now, enviously smooth banter aside, you're going to cart me out to an island because we're going to be loud. Having sex. Come now, we're not going to be that obnoxious…"

"You will be. You don't believe us, and you don't expect it. But you will be." Edward interrupted.

"We'll get you two on a plane, or a boat or something."

I moaned in horror. It's like your dad, and your brother giving you the sex talk. Only blunter. "If I agree, can we pretend this never happened?"

"No, but we'll drop the topic."

"Oh my God, you guys are horrible," I said, "So damn horrible. I thought you two were supposed to be mature…"

"Sorry, was that awkward?"

"Yes." I groaned, covering my face with my hand.

"It was? It wasn't for us," Edward grinned.

"I bet."

Carlisle and Edward high-fived overenthusiastically, which sent another disturbed groan slip past my lips.

Edward, I am so…_so_…pissed off at you. I hope I am being loud and very clear.

"We should be a little nicer, the poor thing," Edward cooed.

"Goodness, I'm sorry. But I'm glad we told you how we feel." Carlisle banged his chest, and then stifled his laughter. Then Edward stifled his laughter.

"What time is it?" I muttered.

"It's ten in the morning." Carlisle said.

"God, no…" Two more hours?

"It's fine, Emmett. Why don't we talk?"

Guy talk. Whoop-de-do.

* * *

_Rosalie_

I have spent most of my morning staring at myself in the mirror.

I find that funny.

I'm still staring at this mirror, too. I must admit that I look really good.

Esme is humming something resembling 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' as she curls my hair. My hair is up for the most part, but she's curling the locks that fell. She's gone back to normal.

_La, la…la la… I've found my silver lining… _Good Rosalie sang sweetly.

_It's ten. In the morning, of course. Hey! You know what's real neat? Boondoggle._ Bad Rosalie chuckled.

_What's that?_ Good Rosalie smiled jocundly, eager to know.

_Yeah, no one likes it yet, but give it a few years, and everyone'll be doing it. See here, you take some string, also known as he-hem-horf, _boondoggle_, and you tie it like this and this and this and, you got to slip it under the loop, and then you got yourself a nice key chain. I'm going to hook it onto my purse, or something. It makes me happy, boondoggle. Takes the anger away…_

_So, we love Emmett, but you love boondoggle?_

_Well, I love them equally, on the contrary! It's that Emmett is exciting and riveting, like football or horror movies, but boondoggle is…relaxing and repeating, like watching the waves lap against the sandy shore…_ Bad Rosalie tilted her head peacefully, boondoggling.

_But what about the wedding, sweetie? You still hate weddings, right?_

Bad Rosalie looked all dreamy, like a phantasmagoric fairy. _I get to keep boondoggling during the ceremony, right?_

_Yeah, I guess so…_

_Well then, hell no, I don't hate weddings. I'm fine. Anything goes, if there's some boondoggling involved._

_Even the Emmett?_

_Sure. Whatever._

_Well, you and I agreeing about the Emmett, that's a miracle enough. Whatever floats the boat, Bad. Boondoggle yourself right into the covers, sugarplum._

_Damn! I messed up! Yeah, okay, sex, Emmett, boondoggle…_ Bad Rosalie turned away, fiddling with her half-finished key chain. She just needed a beard and she'd be a hermit. _Loop, twist, loop, slip, helix..._

"So, Rosalie, are you excited?"

I watched the curling iron pass in front of my face, and shrug. "Yeah, I'm excited."

But hysterical, I'm not.

"Are you nervous?"

The panic shifted at the bottom of me, like a sloth, but I still felt fine. "Nah, I'm just excited."

"You're so confident, Rose," Esme sighed. "I'd be in pieces right now if I were you."

"Thanks Esme. I don't deserve your praise," I mumbled.

Esme turned the curling iron off, and gave me a once over in the mirror. "Oh, you didn't put your own makeup on, did you?"

"I forgot," I lied. I just didn't want to. And I knew Esme wouldn't mind.

"That's fine," she picked up a basket of miscellaneous cosmetics, and dug through it with one hand. I felt like a six-year-old at a beauty pageant, because I don't even remember the last time someone else put makeup on for me. But I think Esme would like that, so she can do what she wants.

She was done in about a minute. I forgot we were all superhuman vampires, oops. Then Esme once-over-ed me again, and smiled.

When I was trying to think of vows, I realized that we're all dead, the 'death do us part' thing is a waste of time and it's nonsensical. So I decide on reciting verse. I forced Emmett to help me read all of the poetry in the house. It took forever. He wasted a good ten minutes reading Jabberwocky. Eventually, we found ourselves trying to decode 15th century slang from Shakespeare. But his sonnets were beautiful! We agreed on one hundred four.

The sweet sonnet is dampened in my head by the godforsaken verses of Lewis Carroll. God, damn.

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun, the frumious Bandersnatch!'

It made no sense, and it annoyed me. I like knowing what stuff means. What the hell is a Bandersnatch?

Must remember Shakespearian wedding vows!

Good Rosalie cleared her throat. _To me, fair friend, you never can be old, for as you were when first your eye I ey'd, such seems your beauty still…_

Vampire Rosalie sighed. _Poems, shmoems, who cares? I like books. Substantial. Books are substantial little things._

Bad Rosalie is working on an absurdly difficult chain of boondoggle. She looked up for a second, but then shook her head and looked down again.

Are you okay?

_I'm fine. I'm very busy. No time to talk. Finishing this double barrel cobra twist. I hope you don't mind._

…

Time passed quickly. It's 11:57.

Miraculously, I'm still…utterly and assuredly mellow.

The wedding is being held the backyard, which sounds absurd and cheap, but we can't do anything relatively large and it'd be in the living room if it weren't so damn nice outside today. Esme is also being mellow. She looked at me for a while, put a rose in my hair and explained why I needed it, and hasn't bothered me since. She's sitting across from me and her back is on the glass door to the back of the house.

We sit in the living room, and the men are all outside, outside the glass door. I still haven't seen Emmett. I miss him.

The sun is brutal – in Forks' terms – and it's shimmering down on the world outside. Esme's shoulder is strategically blocking faces, but one moves out of the sun, one just took the sparkle like a man, and the other rolled his sleeves up. I kept the magic and didn't put names to faces, knowing full well I could.

The grandfather clock chimed, like it wasn't the most important day of my life.

"Looks like it's about that time, eh?" Esme grinned, and she disappears inhumanly fast outside.

Then, only now, the sloth-like panic rattled and shook. It roared like a tsunami, or like a typhoon, tearing away the serene walls in myself. It climbed from the bottom of my gut to the tips of my fingers and harshly looped back again. My knees buckle, and I don't know how I manage to stand. Everything is coming into place. The things that I knew and the things I never cared to notice, like how the grand piano is outside, and Edward is skillfully playing the wedding march on it and Carlisle is a spiffy looking minister and…I don't know. It's a lot of random thoughts coming into one.

Bad Rosalie looked up again. _Should you be moving yet? I think you should check that out._

I snapped back into reality and the march is a lot louder. I will, will it to happen, for one leg, any leg, to move forward. One does, and then the other, and I'm holding the bouquet in my hands like a cross. Then, slowly and systematically, I am walking forwards. The glass door to the woody background was opened for me. I passed it. I look down, at the ground, trying not to trip or be noticed. I looked up for a fraction of a millisecond, and Emmett's eyes caught my own. I took his person in like the first day I met him. The prettiest eyes stare at me, excited and flickering with happiness, or something.

The hesitation is gone and I want to run to him. But I can't. I have to walk the same slow pace until I get to him. That's the right way to do it.

Closer, so much closer to anything and everything I wanted, will ever want, could've ever wanted, closer to him. I have tunnel vision. Emmett didn't break the contact, and his hands grip his tie like it's a dog collar. Finally, I reached him, and I turn and face him.

This is so…weird. And yet, it's funny and perfect and every known emotion and motion to humanity.

I can't exactly explain the look in either of our eyes, or the fight between rigid and fluid in the moment. I never believed…that anyone could complete me like this.

Bad Rosalie's sardonic streak surfaces past the stupid boondoggle, and she coughed. _Can you get anymore cheesy? One more comment and you'll be a bad Shakespearean play. We get it, he's perfect, and he's an angel. But seriously…_

Huh. Was I doing that? Because…it's my wedding and I think for once I can have free reign on the 'cheesiness' of my commentary.

She talked to herself: _Don't be a bitch; just keep the double helix going, Rosalie. Just keep looping. You're better than that._

I thought so. Let me have a quiet moment, for once?

_And how many times have I heard that before?_

But she stopped talking. I focused on the _now._

And I realize. I've been saying things, out loud. At my own wedding. I've been talking to myself at the same time. My eyes stung futilely, maybe trying to cry, but unsuccessful, like catching lightning bugs with a jar.

Carlisle's lips moved, and I guess it was something important. Then my automated response fails, and already I knew what the supposed phrase was. I don't say anything for a second, but my body re-kickstarts itself in a jerk. "I do," I replied, and the flicker in Emmett's eyes intensified, like a candle to a campfire.

So…I missed my whole sonnet? It didn't seem to matter anymore. I liked the memory of looking for them more than reading them…maybe my priorities are out of stride.

Then, I hear Emmett. "I do."

And then my lips align perfectly with his, and it's the best moment, in my ungodly existence.

…

The last thing Edward said to Emmett was "Go out, and get some!"

I didn't get what that meant for a while. When I mentioned 'where's the honeymoon' to him, he chuckled painfully.

Then in one big breath he said, "Well Edward and Carlisle…they ganged up on me and forced well not forced they _suggested_ that I take you to Isle Esme for our honeymoon and we could be as fucking loud as we wanted while we're doing the dirty. Offhand I hear it's really really beautiful and there's pretty blue water to swim in and we don't have to even worry about sharks! Or stingrays or poisonous coral although I think that last one might be a lie. Poisonous coral? Hah. I like swimming. You like swimming, right?"

_Uh._ "Uh…I like swimming. So they suggested that you personally take me to Isle Esme?"

"Yeah, that's the sweeter version of it," and the poor boy's embarrassed. Emmett threw a toothy grin my way.

I held his hand and smiled like a cat. "Well, that's just better for us, isn't it?"

"Sure is."

I had only heard stories from Esme about Isle Esme. Of course, Carlisle's the kind of person to get someone an island. What a great guy. I know that it's nice there, and crazy stuff goes down there. Other than that, it's like walking into a foggy bog. God only knows the secrets that hide there…

So, finally, after a really excruciating wait, we arrived. In a sentence, the place was as beautiful as me. Maybe more. Yeah, more. And that was a lot of beauty. The colors I knew were all intensified a-hundred-fold here. The sun was frankly oranger than orange and the water was bluer than blue and like liquid sapphire, the sand was all shades of brown and tan, and bespeckled with gem-like rocks. I see a quaint bungalow up the dunes from the shore.

I begin hauling my suitcase up the sand dune, efficiently so, but Emmett picked my suitcase and me up. Like a groom would his bride. Ironic.

The luggage, his and mine, is on one of his shoulders. Balancing it perfectly, he coasted up the dunes to the pristine bungalow. The sun danced behind the ocean's horizon, and I'm giddy at the whole thing. I held onto his neck as he tore the door open.

Emmett tossed the suitcases which-wherever and pushed me up against the hallway, leaving kisses on my neck. "Rosalie, I want you...now. What are you waiting for?" he breathes in between the kisses.

I gripped his shoulder and held him off. "If you've waited this long, you can wait ten more minutes. I have to unpack. But then I'll be back. Get relaxed," I winked at him. Emmett looked devastated.

"How relaxed can I get?" he muttered.

I pushed him down the hallway to the master bedroom, and onto the bed. "Stay there. I'll be back." I snatched my suitcase and pulled it to the bathroom.

What poor, unsuspecting, impatient Emmett doesn't know, is that I packed a lot of clothes. A lot. Because I'm a really modest person. I just…wouldn't wear these clothes if I were going to Alaska.

So maybe I have a good amount of lingerie in my closet. So maybe I packed all of it. It's for the greater good of things, yes? I've had a long time to wait for it.

I don't think, that in any different circumstance, I could remove a dress like the one I have in less than five minutes. But it's off, and I'm staring at myself in the mirror, in the most modest getup ever. I flipped the suitcase open.

Ah, so many choices…

I decided I would annoy the hell out of Emmett and wear something that would take a very long time to unhook and pull and the like. With the tights and the garters... And I look very nice…at least I think so. I added a robe to further vex my husband.

I opened the bathroom door, and tiptoed to the bedroom. Emmett is staring outside, at the sea. I bet he wants a swim.

"Emmett," I crooned.

"Huh, wha-" he turned around, and then paused. His jaw dropped. "Oh God," he whispered.

I grinned. "Why don't you get closer?" In a second, he crossed the room and lightly danced me towards the wall.

_Oh God, we've been waiting for this for a long time, haven't we?_

_I'm feeling a little hot and bothered…_

_Whoa! I was so into the double helix, I forgot all this…was happening. What's going on?_

Do you expect me to dignify that with a response? What do you think's going on?

_Well, I get into stuff! Sue me, would you?_

Emmett kissed my neck, and his hands wandered completely uninhibited across my body. It sent shivers down my spine. But he didn't waste any time. "You wore a lot of clothes," he noted between kisses.

"Really?" I feigned innocence.

"Yeah, and I don't see a point since I'm going to be taking them all off."

_And, officially, I am feeling that magic, ladies. _

I met his eyes with a small smile. His smile was a lot toothier. I seized his shoulders and pushed him towards the bed.

…

I never thought vampires were just _that much stronger_ than humans. Until now, of course.

I don't want to sound happy, but we have broken several articles of anything in the house. Uh, the first time we did it, we broke a lot of stuff. But then we did it some more. Effect: even more is broken. And then we kicked it some more. (If you were me, you'd do the same too. Trust me.) It was heavenly. Well, I'm sure real angels can't have sex. And that is just too bad for the angels.

It's been three days since the beginning of the honeymoon. On count, the bed's ruined, all of the furniture in the living room of the bungalow is busted, there's a hole in the wall near the front door, uh, Emmett broke a window with his foot, the kitchen counter's a little deformed, several articles of clothing have been torn to an unrecognizable mess, and…oh yeah, the kitchen table's in about twelve pieces.

Good times, good times.

We didn't even go swimming yet. That's weird.

Emmett is staring out at the window again. I came up behind him and held on to his waist. "Emmett…" His scent mingled with mine, a mish-mash of everything nice.

"Yeah?"

"Let me read your mind…you want to see how that water feels?"

He turned to look at me. "You know me too well, Rosie-posy."

"I know," I nodded. "Well, let's go!" I pulled him by the hand out of the bedroom, and to the sand dunes, near the water.

I waded out to the surf, and Emmett leaped into the surf. His hand found my leg and I fell with him to the water. We were at the level where the sandy floor kind of dropped into the sea, and we plummeted deeper, without fear or a care in the world. Clownfish and stingrays swam around us, scared or excited. We taunted sharks, and punched them, just to see if it all really worked. It did. But I guess that's cruel, isn't it? And we tangled ourselves among the seaweed, and the light-hardly-penetrating the thick deep water. After swimming around like vampire mermaids for a time, we left the ocean. I walked with him up the sand dunes.

"Do we have to go home?" I asked, looking Emmett in the eye.

"Yes, and we have to get this place fixed. We…killed…it, for lack of better words," he said.

"But you had fun doing it, didn't you?"

Emmett just laughed dryly, and he side-kicked my butt. I giggled and pushed him away playfully. We fell into the sand, laughing and grinning. It died down slowly, sucked into the atmospheric growl of the sea and cries of birds.

"Well, I still have to say, I miss the guys a little," I said, surprising myself.

"Me too," Emmett sighed. He kissed my cheek.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Oh, sigh. I didn't get 37 reviews by this chapter (just ONE away), but beggars can't be choosers, and I'm surprised I got the amount I did. Huh. The wedding part was hell to write. I had to revamp and cut it down like six times. I still hate it, too. Yeah, superedited chapter. And if you don't know what boondoggle is, look it up. It's a summer camp tradition for me. And the ever-awaited chapter's next. So chillax guys. Uh, other than that, I don't have much to say this time. So, uh, review?


	16. Strings To Your Bow

_(Eternal Flow, Strings To Your Bow, Roam Through the Globe)_

* * *

_Emmett_

I've been a vampire for a while now, haven't I? Uh…15 years? Yeah, that's it. Halfway through the 20th century; what a concept. 1950, huh? Gee willikers. That's what they're saying now. They like saying swell, too. From what I know, 'swell' is a word indicating I hurt myself. Gosh, I fell on my ankle and it's starting to _swell._ But you can't stop popular culture. In fact, I embrace it. It's all so swell!

So, we're out, out hunting, and enjoying the life. Or I was. For a time.

Rosalie's satisfied with the mountain lion she snagged. I tossed a very large elk a few feet from me.

"So, have you ever played Parcheesi?" She asked me as we started towards the house.

"No, but it's from India, right? Why?"

Rosalie frowned. "Edward challenged me to a game, but I have no idea how to play."

I didn't answer her actual query. "Rose?"

"What?"

"Do you smell…candy?"

"What kind of candy?"

"It's a funny mix of…fruity jawbreakers, bubble gum, and licorice. Red licorice, because the black kind tastes like death," I clarified.

She inhaled. "I smell musk."

"Rosalie, everyone smells like that. Most guys at least…"

"I'm not done. I'm picking up honey, peach, and apple blossoms…"

"This _is_ weird. I'm worried," I looked at her with innocent fear in my eyes. What if there were evil nice-smelling vampires? What if they were something else? What if…

"About nice smelling things?"

"Well, besides the fruit and candy and insect byproducts, I smell a man, and a woman. Not to mention that they're not humans?"

"This is weird. Shake it off, Emmett. Let's get home."

"Yes Ma'am."

I have a hunch that things were going to get a little funny. I don't just…pick up random scents and…actually _point them out_ to…other people.

But offhand, Rosalie is babbling about stuff, and how's she's worried and that nothing could be wrong, and I'm just like,_ shut up. _It's not like I said that, though, because I value my self-worth.

We're about 20 feet from the house, and then the lingering scents kind of morphed into totally-there scents. But Rosalie kept, uh, strutting ahead, like she's still on top of the world. I'm kind of scuttling behind her.

Carlisle swung the front door open smiling warmly. The patented Carlisle smile. It made me feel like nothing was wrong. "Rosalie, Emmett, come see our visitors, yes?"

I uttered a noise, something like, "Meep," but Rosalie gripped my arm and pulled forwards. "For the strongest person in the world, you're a damn coward sometimes."

"New people are scary," I tried to plead my case. But we finally passed through the doorframe.

There we see a very short girl, and a very serious looking man. They could have been siblings. I stuck with that. Edward had posted himself near Esme, near the opposite side of the coffee table.

Carlisle, like usual, took it upon himself to explain everything. "Rose, Em, this is Alice, and that's Jasper. They're going to be living with us." Whoa, surprise! Yay!

"Hi," I said.

Alice smiled, and it was like her teeth were God's herself…(uh, himself?) They were perfect. "Hi! I guess you're Emmett?"

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you."

Jasper's eyes are analyzing me, and I am so intimidated, it's not funny. Then Alice got up from the couch and ran, or maybe danced, or pranced, to Rosalie. She touched her face like she's touching something rare and soft. "Gosh, you're really pretty. I wish I was as pretty as you."

Jasper smirked from behind her on the couch. "Alice, you're very pretty." His voice is like heaven on ice, and that annoyed the hell out of me. Another perfect guy to spend my days with.

The 'we're totally siblings' idea crashed. And burned in a field somewhere.

Alice turned to Jasper and smiled beautifully. "Oh, thank you! You're a doll!" After, she fawned over Rose some more.

If only Rosalie actually said 'thank you' to my compliments…

Rosalie looked a little overwhelmed. "Why thank you, Alice, honey! It's real nice to have another female in the house. One can only take so much Emmett…"

The urge to throw an indignant response at her faded with the fact that we just met these people. I smiled for some unknown reason. "Huh, right," I said.

Then it's quiet for an awkward moment or two. Maybe it's 'cause Alice kind of froze and she was really the only one talking.

Rosalie and I are the only ones who are confused as hell. We missed something.

Alice suddenly pulled Rosalie into a hearty hug that contrasted with her petite frame. "Oh, we're going to have lots of fun!" She squealed.

Rosalie, it seems, is at a total loss for clever responses. "What? Doing what?"

Alice looked puzzled for a second, but then giggled, like it's a big joke. "Oh, yes, they forgot to tell you! That's my thing. Seeing stuff, in the future, I guess. That's pretty nifty, isn't it?"

A collective _ohhhhhh _passed us. I realized Alice never explained her vision to Rosalie. A surprise…

Carlisle ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed. "Goodness, forgot to tell you that."

"Let me guess, chatterbox over there has a spiffy power too, yeah?"

Jasper's eyes sharpen and glare at me. The message is clear. _Your sarcasm isn't appreciated. _Well, go fall in a ditch, nice guy.

For the second time, he spoke. He sounded a little too dignified for his actual body. "Yes, I presume I've got one also."

I resisted mouthing the words back in an immature fashion with a funny face.

I just took him in, he smelled like peach and honey and…apple blossoms. Except he smelled distinctly like a man, so it was like Thanksgiving dessert with your family, only without the cutesy attributes. His eyes were pretty, pretty awesome, pretty nice. He had this crazy brown-blonde-but-maybe-more-blonde hair.

"So, what is it?" I asked.

Jasper looked up, maybe thinking of how to put it in words. "Well, I've been using the term 'manipulating emotions.' I guess that's really vague of me. It's not very exciting…" he trailed off, being bashful and _swell_ and stuff.

"Come on, I want to know now." Rosalie perked up. "Sounds so…exotic. How come you don't have one?" She poked my arm.

"Sorry dear, I will go check on the superpower committee and see why they're so late on that one."

"The sarcasm is noted."

Jasper raised an eyebrow, and finally answered. "I just do what I do…I think. I'm usually a little more eloquent than this…but I've only had to explain this to so many people, uh, lately." Then he stopped in a thoughtful stare to the ceiling. "Ah, well, it's like this. I can feel every emotion, and I can control them. I suppose I can calm the angered and anger the calm, although that's hardly something I really want to do, seeing as it's so troublesome. And trust me, it ain't that spiffy of a concept, these powers."

"You're saying that to make me feel better." I folded my arms.

"Hey, I'm being serious. Doesn't make life…that much different. Still drink blood, still dead…'sall the same."

"Well, you sure seem to know a lot about life. Do you have a lesson for little old me?"

"Do I look like a prophet to you? But I'll tell you this." Then, slowly he explained how he met Alice and the army and the diner and the eating humans for breakfast, and the other war no one really knew about.

"Wow, that's colorful. Well…" I don't finish my sentence.

"Well what?" Alice inquired.

"Well, this is where Carlisle usually interrupts and says something smart. You failed me, Carlisle."

Carlisle half-smiles at me, and said, "Perhaps you're right, although what's 'smart' is completely relative to the individual. The people at work are beginning to wonder about my kids..."

Rosalie put her face in one palm.

"…And considering I have even more kids now, we have to do what we do."

"And what is that?" Edward said.

"We blend in. Now…it's time you go to school."

"School? I went to school already! Those were not my brightest days." I shuddered.

"I bet, but in this day and age I can't have high-school aged kids not in school without a reason. I don't have an infallible reason yet, so, we're just going to send you to school. Do you understand me?"

"I have to go set up outfits and the like now! Can we speed this up?" Rosalie whined.

"Relax, Rose. Again, Esme and I have spun a web of a story that explains everything. All right? Listen. Rosalie; you and Jasper sure look a lot like each other…so, you two are siblings…"

Carlisle kept explaining our whole 'situation' in perfect detail. I didn't pay much attention, honestly. My eyes kept flickering to Jasper, who was itching his neck feverishly. I for a fact, know that vampires don't itch. Something was up with him.

I'm so smart.

After the whole explanation of stuff, Jasper just said, "School? Public school…with…other humans?"

"Ye-" Carlisle began, but silenced himself. "You aren't very experienced in the world of vegetarianism, are you? You told me, but he didn't tell you guys."

I'm confused, and I wondered how damn long Rosalie and I were really out. We miss everything! Everything.

"No, you, he didn't tell us." Rosalie reaffirmed.

"I really didn't stop feeding on humans until so shortly ago. I'd still be doing it too, if I never met Alice."

"How sweet, but now how are we supposed to drag the guy through a whole…_hour_of school? He'll murder everyone." Edward frowned. "Sorry."

"No offense taken."

Esme spoke up. "Jasper is officially overcome with the common cold. I'll nurse him for a few days. Like always, I will come up with something."

"When exactly does school start?" I asked.

"Five days. Wednesday."

"Gosh, this is all so sudden! We hardly moved in." Alice put a finger to her chin, thinking. "Well that changes everything! I've got to…unpack, and settle and…"

"Relax? We've all just met. We should do something…bondingish. We have to be relatives, right?" Edward said.

"We should play a game." I suggested. "Everyone likes games."

"Or sports. Do you guys like baseball?" Jasper suggested, smirking.

"It's the American pastime, right?" Rosalie said flatly.

Suddenly, a sharp crack ripped through the air outside and rain began to slap against the windows.

"Hey, it's raining," Alice noted.

"It does that a lot here."

"Well, yeah, but the last time I played baseball with someone, it was _sooooo _loud. Then we did it again, but only it was raining real hard, so the noise we made blended in with the thunderstorm. We should go play!"

"Right now?" Esme glanced out the window. Her forehead creased.

"Thunderstorms don't last forever."

I was waiting for Rose to complain about how dirty it was outside, but she doesn't. What she did do was stare at me for a long time. And after she finished staring, she sighed. "There's a ball and bat in the garage. And maybe next time you guys should decide for sports before the rain gets here?"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Rosie-posy! You can bat first." I promised.

"She will?" Carlisle said.

"Yeah," I replied. Rosalie will get whatever she requests. That's how it worked.

"Oh, Em, you're so sweet."

"You're sweeter."

…

So, after a bit of trial and error, we find a large clearing, surrounded by breaks of trees except the lack thereof where we entered. The storm is in full tilt, spewing water and rolling the thunder like boulders down a mountain. Sometimes, a white bolt would shoot from the clouds, and little offshoot bolts would come from it.

I realized how scared humans were of this stuff. Lightning, was the only thing I was a little afraid of. Sometimes it sets stuff on fire. We all know about fire here.

I admit, all of us look like idiots, 'cept for Rosalie. We ran for a while in the rain, and as much as we want to believe running fast enough deflects the rain or something, it did not. My hair was straight again, and it was longer, flat against my head.

"You know, I warned you people earlier that you'd screw all your hair up, but you all chose not to believe me!" Rosalie smirked, primly. A small tsunami of water cascaded from her umbrella to my shoulder. The umbrella she had was one I gave to her under a set of odd circumstances. I named it the Iron Parasol. Rosalie just calls it 'umbrella.' Her beautiful golden halo was dry as fresh clothes out of the dryer, under the safety of the Iron Parasol.

"I regret not trusting you, Miss Rosalie." Jasper chuckled. His hair created a thick wet curtain over his eyes. But he still looked swell. God, Jasper was so proper. Was I ever that proper?

Rosalie nodded in Jasper's direction, her stupid smirk still on full power.

Edward just laughed.

"You know, I'm sure the rain will just bring us closer. So," Esme let the gear fall from her arms to the wet grass, "it's not a problem."

"I want to do teams!" I cried, throwing a hand in the air.

No one objected.

"Okay, okay. Uh, wait, there are seven of us, aren't there?" I pouted.

"I'll catch! I just won't be on anyone's team." Esme snapped. Then she flashed a smile at Rosalie who didn't look very happy.

"Swell. Uh, Rosalie, you don't mind, do you? Now that we have equal teams, and all." I can't resist grinning at her too.

Rosalie bit her bottom lip, then frowned. It's quiet, minus the rain. Swiftly, she clawed my shirt with her hand and pulled me under the Iron Parasol. "If you wanted a game, you've got a game. I will pound you into submission."

"You're cute when you're angry. I'd like to see what you can really do when you try."

Rosalie growled, but it turned into a small scream.

"We will see who wins, then." I said. Before she let go, I captured her lips. I really don't know how angry she was, because she crumpled, for a second. Just a second.

She slapped my back and pulled away. "Let me go, let me go, you idiot! I don't want your kisses, I want your A-game!"

Jasper made a catlike noise. "She always that angry?"

Edward scoffed. "You haven't the half of it."

"Shut up, Edward."

"Well, uh, now that Rosalie's out to kill me, I guess she's not with me. I pick Edward…and Alice, because you're so swell."

"Oh, we can beat them." Edward grinned crookedly, and threw the ball from hand to hand.

Carlisle laughed, and pointed at Edward. "Is that a challenge?"

"Why don't I answer you after our team beats you?"

Rosalie finally threw the Iron Parasol into the wind. Perfectly, it hooked itself between the branches of a tree at the edge of the clearing. Instead she replaced it with the baseball bat.

The wind played with her hair, before the rain had a chance to. I felt warm and fuzzy on the inside, and her scent muddled with the autumn rain. It turned the fuzzy warmth into a fire. I felt the urge to forget the game altogether, but, I came to win, and win I must…

"Emmett, instead of being such a pansy about your girl, you get on the bases?" Jasper patted my shoulder.

I eyed Rosalie being antsy at the plate. Hey, maybe she'll miss? Okay…no. The third base, also known as 'very flat plate-like rock' is about a foot away. Alice is pitching, and I assume she's pretty good at it.

I can't help but wonder if this'll be like that badminton game.

I had seen real baseball guys pitch on TV before, but Alice made them look like wild animals. She was graceful. And that ball went with so much speed it scared me, _a vampire_. Rosalie winded back, and my mind went into slow motion as it collided with the wood. There was a thunderclap, or at least the equivalent of one, and the ball rocketed towards Edward and I.

The ball whizzed past my head. Then my brain finally realized that I needed to catch it. My legs suddenly sprung into action, and I kept my eye on that ball. It kept flying forwards, not showing a sign of stopping.

Edward is calm behind me, but I don't know how far back. "You got this?"

"I got it!" My fingers closed around the baseball. As my feet settled on the ground, I whipped my torso around, and shot the ball to Edward. I felt phantom sweat roll down my arms as I see Rosalie sprinting second.

Thunder rocked the forest again, and I felt something real exhilarating as I played baseball. I liked it.

I watched as Rosalie glided over home plate and the ball just after. Esme smiled and said, "One-zero."

I muttered mean things under my breath as I met up with Edward again. "We have to win this game, Edward."

Edward smirked. "Or you'll be so emasculated? Yes, we'll win, you eager beaver Emmett."

As Jasper gave the bat a once over, Rosalie yoo-hooed at me. "Oh, Em, what's that smell? Is it the stench of your impending loss, or is that my _A-game?_" She turned. Before she finally left the mark of her taunting, "I can't tell."

"Well, I'm gonna beat your team." I hollered halfheartedly.

Alice pitched again, and Jasper didn't fail. I guess there were no batting strikes in vampire baseball. Made sense.

But I see that Jasper wasn't really full of anger, like Rosalie, and the ball wasn't as hard to chase. In fact, I managed to jump up and catch it.

"Out! One strike!"

"That's okay, I'll get us a point." Carlisle reassured the semi-defeated Jasper. "Okay, go for it," he said.

This time, the ball goes far out of my reach, towards Edward. I watched in sports-induced horror as Carlisle flied past first base.

"Third base, Edward!"

I heard his voice from behind the trees. "Yeah, can you spare a second? Fell in the creek."

"No, I cannot spare a second!"

After a grunt from Edward, I leaped to catch the ball, but Carlisle stuck on second. I assumed he'd go all the way.

"Gee, you guys, maybe one of you should pitch?" Alice said. I wasn't sure if that was sarcasm or genuine interest.

"We can manage, we're just rusty."

…

Finally, we manage to bat. The score is three to nothing. I'm not sure we will win anymore.

"We're going to lose, and if I lose…"

"Hey, turn that…worried grimace…upside down, Emmett! We can bounce back, besides, it's just a game." Alice danced a pretty jig around me.

My worried grimace deepened. "But it's…_Rosalie_." I whispered, covering my face with my hands.

"There isn't an 'I' in team, big man. Nor is there a 'Rosalie.' So, go bat." Edward said sagely.

I held the bat, and it looked like it had gone through too much torture for one piece of polished wood. Poor thing.

The cliché would probably be Rosalie pitching, and maybe knocking my head from my body, but there's good ole Carlisle, ready to throw me some kind of crazy pitch. For informational purposes, Rose is hanging in the outfield, because their team is too good for basemen.

"Do you think you can take my sidewinder?"

"Want to find out?" I replied, the jaunty side returning.

Carlisle winded back and threw the baseball at me. I pivoted on my right foot, and let everything I had into the swing. It was a big flash and another quake to the wet place around me. I felt something poke into my wrist, but I ignore it, 'cause it didn't hurt. Lightning struck something. I felt real thunder and my agitation of the air around me, collide into one and then my head said 'run.'

I dropped the bat like it's the plague, and jolted myself into a bolt to first base. There's a thick mop of wet hair impeding my vision. I take the risk of my eternal clumsiness and use a hand to drag it to my ear.

I took a millisecond to observe the situation. A millisecond was all I had. Rosalie and Jasper - get this - crash into each other and whomever had the ball lost it to the mud.

"Gah, what're you doing?" Rosalie.

Reply: "You were kind of in the way, I said I had it! What're _you _doing?" It's all very disgruntled and fast.

I noticed Rosalie had stolen Jasper's baseball cap, but it really didn't surprise me.

I'm almost dancing toward second base, because they're just getting up. It took another whole second for them to find the ball and retrieve it. I set my foot on third base and then dash for home. It worked.

"Safe!" Esme called.

Rosalie stood up, and Jasper finally stood too. Carlisle had the ball.

That worked really well. And that scared me. I finally glanced to see what the poking sensation in my wrist was. It was a large splinter of wood, the length of a ballpoint pen and the width of my thumb. The wooden bat is in pieces all over home plate. Esme produced a metal bat from the pile of gear and tossed it to the patch of grass near the plate. My bad.

So Alice goes next, and incredibly gracefully, she sent the ball flying far out of easy reach. But she stayed on third base.

If Edward could hit a homer, we could get into a lead. But that seemed like a hard concept when 'home runs' are truly measured how far and fast you can run or maybe the opposing team.

"Swing batter batter, swing!"

"Esme, when did you learn all this slang?" I sat behind her.

Esme chuckled, in the comforting way she always did. It was quaint, but free. "Honest to goodness, I just watched it on the good old television. I was keen to what the catcher said. No one listens to the catcher, except maybe the…" Esme stopped to watch Edward coast across the clearing. "Emmett, you've got me jabbering on about superfluous things! I'm such a yakkety yak."

Alice came in easily, and tied it up. This time, I saw Edward's shoes hit the plate and the ball hide into the Esme's mitt at the same time.

"Uh…" Esme didn't finish.

Alice piped up, "From what I saw, it was safe. But it's not my job to answer. Just saying."

Rosalie began to say something, but she doesn't finish.

"Well, then, Edward is safe." Esme decided.

"Good job." I said, and held up my hand for a high-five. Edward complied, and slapped my hand.

I took this time to begin some post-win gloating. "Oh, Rose! What is that smell? Is it the stench of your loss, or is it my _A-game?_" I yelled to her. "I can't tell!"

"Sorry, Miss Rosalie. That was the proverbial game point. Storm's clearing up, guys." Jasper said.

It was true. The harsh after-rain sun broke through the clouds, and the rain began to let up, shuddering into a drizzle. Thunder rumbled distantly. And that sun got to us, but I didn't worry, because the sun would be gone in about ten minutes tops.

I always liked the sun. I know at school I'm just going to have to wear sweaters and stay out of the skylights, but now, I can soak it up. Or maybe reflect it, I guess.

* * *

_Rosalie_

I am so pissed. I want to kill something.

How did I lose?

I blame Jasper. He's so weird.

_Now, now, that's not the way a lady thinks, _Good Rosalie threw her voice to Jasper's, _Miss Rosalie._

Shut up. I hate you.

_We love you too, sweetie._

_Uh, you _lost _the game. You're just going to have to take what comes. For God sakes, it was just a game. Your anger is making me jumpy. _Bad Rosalie barked.

My own husband is going to be taunting me for days.

Bad Rosalie set a finished boondoggle chain on the floor, wherever. _The Rosalie from the glory days would not let the Emmett walk all over her. You know, maybe you could just give the man a _miniscule_ reminder of who the winner is here._

Does that sentence have some kind of double entendre?

Bad Rosalie whispered in Vampire Rosalie's ear, then innocence on her face, she turned to me. _Me? Perverse? No. You just take that the way you heard it, you home run hitter._

Emmett's jumping around, and I glared at him. But I also took Bad's advice into consideration.

Esme stood next to me. "Aw, Rose…" she didn't say much else for a while. "Please don't hurt him too badly. I don't want to hide the matches again, sweetie."

"That was one time, Esme."

"One _very bad_ time…Ah, here comes your man. I have to go do something." Esme said, and briskly walked away.

"Rosalie…" he began, fiddling with something in his pocket. Then he laughed nervously. "I guess my team won."

"I guess."

"Fair and square. I won…so do I get anything for it?"

"Well, maybe a slap on the face? Or a night with me, out in the forest? I haven't decided which might feel better." I smirked.

Emmett's jaw slacked a little. "I wouldn't mind the second one. I haven't been to the river in so long…"

"No, things kind of get in the way, don't they? I wouldn't mind a swim."

Emmett squinted at me. "I like swimming."

"Who doesn't like swimming, babe?"

I wonder if he believed we were talking just about swimming.

…

I let Emmett worry about what I was really going to do to him, while I did something actually productive.

I helped Alice set her whole room up, and it was pretty fun. She asked me questions and I asked her questions and it was all very enjoyable. After that I went to my bedroom and set up my closet for fall. I was kind of bored. I was never bored.

_You're not bored because you're not with the Emmett. Usually, you guys would be smashing something expensive with the power of your love. But you know, some time with yourself, with all your clothes on, maybe reading or something equally wholesome wouldn't hurt anyone._ Bad Rosalie snorted, and fiddled with an unfinished chain of boondoggle.

My life is very wholesome, for the point. I am the most wholesome person you know.

_Okay, honey. I won't get in the way of your grandeur. It's your world, I just live in it._

_Oh, back off, Bad. A little abstinence just makes the heart grow fonder. Rosalie, you _are _wholesome. Like…a Nobel prize winner, or something. _Good Rosalie reassured. Or maybe, tried to reassure.

Thanks.

_Yeah, why don't you fix a puzzle, or something? _Vampire Rosalie suggested.

I only do puzzles with Emmett. Although we haven't actually finished one since… Well, I haven't finished a jigsaw puzzle in a good long time.

_Well, can't blame you. There are things that he can do with his hands that are completely sinful. I admit it; I like sinning. _Good Rosalie shrugged. _And so does my grouchy counterpart, don't you, Bad?_

_In terms of sloth, wrath, greed and envy, yes, I like sinning. _

I bet you do.

…

I waited until seven in the evening. At seven, I would go seduce Emmett. Why? Because it's fun, and basically the highlight of my day after that dreadful baseball game earlier.

I found him in his room, drawing, of all things.

"Hi Rosie-posy. How's it cooking, good looking?"

"I'm cooking well. So, what're you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just doodling. Nothing special."

Emmett's curled up on the top of his bed, doodling in a thick pad that he must have had for a while, because he was past the middle of the book.

I lay next to him, feeling his arm.

"Can I see?"

Emmett laughed in exactly the way I imagined a genius to laugh. Like I am a lowly peon compared to…The Emmett. "God, no! No one sees the Doodlebook. It's like my child. My clandestine child." He petted the book.

I giggled.

"The Doodlebook?"

"Why, yes indeed!"

I pouted. "Why can't _I _see it?"

"Well I said no one could see the Doodlebook, Rosalie."

"Oh, come on, Em. I'm…_Rosalie_. Besides I bet you're a great artist."

Emmett squinted at me. "I think all vampires can draw well, actually."

I slapped his arm, and he caved. "Okay, okay, I just thought you might not've liked it…"

I looked at him disbelievingly, and tore the book from his unwilling hands. It was me. Looking very nice, may I add?

The lust died, and happiness bloomed in my belly. "Oh…Emmett! You're so great!"

"I am?"

I kissed his cheek. "You really can do everything! I love you."

"I love you too."

I think he'd be blushing if he could. I handed him the pad back.

"So, Emmett…I've been thinking, about today. You know, you're really good with a bat, babe."

"I suppose I am," he said, playing humbleness off.

"You're so good, maybe you can teach me something? You could show me how good you are?"

Emmett stared at me sideways. "With a bat?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, would you mind?" I put on the most innocent pout.

He grinned. "I think I can teach you a few tricks. You'd like that?"

I held him close, by the collar to me. His breath tickled my ear. "I'd like that." A hand hiked up my skirt. He left wet kisses on my face, under my chin, to my neck. The other hand was working on unbuttoning my shirt.

_Ah, the good life… _Good Rosalie sighed.

_At least we're not burning on a stake somewhere. _Bad Rosalie muttered.

I felt Emmett's back, as it was part of the things I did. He liked it, and I loved feeling him up anywhere I could. I couldn't really wait much longer, knowing what could be in store. Another signature thing, I tore his shirt off. It was quick, and I held the ruined shrapnel of fabric in my hand. I let it fall to the floor. Emmett met my eyes, and I smiled slyly. I tugged at the gap in his trousers, and my fingers began removing his belt.

"Show me what you can do, slugger."

…

Emmett always had something well placed to say, right about now. The best and possibly oddest part is that he never tried. His heavy hand ran through my tousled hair. I purred in his arms.

"Now that I think about it, I really believe that baseball is a sport where everyone can win." There it was.

"I agree."

And suddenly, I got an idea.

"Em!"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Let's go down to the river in the woods, like I promised."

"Right now?"

"Why not?"

"Uh, I got to find a shirt for starters."

"Emmett, you don't even _wear_ a shirt half the time."

"…So maybe I was planning a wee little joke on Jasper."

I gasped. "Emmett, you didn't! What did Jasper do to deserve one of your practical jokes? Do you want to scar the man for life?"

"It wasn't as bad as the Edward and the Piano Wire Debacle. That was comedy gold. This is like, comedy junk ore. It'll be over in about 300 seconds, and I want to see it."

"What did you do?"

"Jasper is one beautiful man, Rosalie."

I turned to face Emmett. "What?"

"He has the hair of a star. It's about the same color of ocher waves of grain on the countryside. It's ineffably great. Almost as good as your hair!"

I glared.

"So, he's in the shower right now. Maybe washing his hair, maybe not, but my plan was so perfect that didn't have to be a factor. Rosie, do you like the color of electric blue?"

"Not particularly. Why?" The words are being pushed through my teeth.

"That is the dye I created just for him. It's in the soap. But it's very potent, so if he even touches his hair…_boom._ I'm a genius, aren't I?"

"Emmett! No! You are so stupid! Carlisle will have a cow! Fucking Jasper will have a cow!"

"And if this works, I am completely willing to take the heat for it. Relax. I've just got 45 seconds left."

Again, I am livid. Emmett is an idiot. He is a god in the sheets, but he is an idiot.

I shook out of his grasp, and began buttoning my shirt up.

"Emmett, you are so immature."

"That's why you like me, though! Look, you watch!"

Emmett is giddy. I grudgingly pull my skirt on as he's hopping to fix his trousers.

"This is so wrong," I muttered.

"Rosalie, you need to stop being a stick in the mud. Let's go, let's go!"

He never bothered to get that shirt, either. We're out of his room, and 'standing casually' as he called it, in the hallway in front of the bathroom.

Slowly, without anger, the door opened. There is the dashing Mr. Whitlock with truly electric blue hair. And he looks so cute with his suspenders! I was slack-jawed.

"Why hello, you incriminatingly good-looking couple," Jasper said flatly, folding his arms. Then he frowned. Matter-of-factly, he said, "Emmett, I am getting you back for this so bad."

It's silent as I watched the standoff between the two men. Then Emmett bursts out laughing.

"Oh, Jasper, I would like to see you try!" Emmett paused for a good ten seconds of hysterical laughter. "I would like to see what a rookie like _yourself_ could do to _possibly_ top this display of comedic genius!"

"Consider this my Declaration of War," he said. Jasper glanced at me before going to his room.

"Well good job, Em. You can forget going swimming." I started for the staircase.

"Rosie! Rosie-posy! Listen!"

"No, Emmett, I will not listen."

"Oh, honey, there's got to be a way to apologize to you. I'm sorry for being an immature buffoon."

"Oh, you don't mean that." I hissed, not bothering to turn to him.

I pushed the front door open, and slammed it in his face. The man doesn't know when to take a hint.

I was walking a faster-than-comfortable speed, and I heard him open the door.

Great.

_Oh, my stars and garters! Methinks there might be trouble in Utopia? _Vampire Rosalie gasped.

_Methinks you are right, my friend. _Bad Rosalie added.

_Who says 'methinks' anymore, anyway? It's the 20__th__ century, losers. _Good Rosalie folded her arms.

_Methinks_ you guys are complete idiots. Shut up.

_Methinks you are being quite original with the insults today. You'll get better in time, honey._

_Rose, methinks you need to cool out. You want to be mellow, like me. I'm always 'chill.'_

No one who says 'methinks' is mellow. Leave me alone you stupid archaic people!

_Whoa! Here comes your man. When did he leave?_

"Rosalie, I'm sorry for being an immature loser. Will you accept these flowers as a token of my guiltiness?"

I finally turn around. He's holding a bunch of flowers, no surprise. Only, none of the flowers grew remotely close to Forks.

An orchid or two, buttercups, moonflowers, red roses, a Bird of Paradise, and some daisies feared being crushed in his giant claw of a hand.

"Where'd you get those?"

Emmett shrugged. "I ran, and picked the prettiest ones up. They're organized by symbolism, you know. Roses for passion, and your namesake I guess, but not really, orchids for regality, moonflowers for grace, and they kind of look like fish in the day 'cause they're all puckered up, also the Bird of Paradise because it's from Hawaii and I know how much you like Hawaii. You like Oahu, too. Sorry, that was off-topic. The daisies were for, like, simplicity, maybe like our love? From what I know, our love is so damn simple. There aren't any strings attached to this, attached to me and you...or you and I, sorry. And that's part of the reason my life is so great. The buttercups were just cute. You're cute. Well, you're more than cute, but I couldn't find any flowers that actually met your standard, but buttercups are nice. They're nice. I would have gotten you more, but you would have gotten too far from me. If you want more, you can ask for one, and I'll get it somehow. I'm your man, and I will do anything for you, no matter how funny Jasper looks with blue hair. I won't lie." Emmett finished. It always meant something when he had a long, bumbling, monologue.

"Emmett, you really do care, don't you?"

"Rosalie, just 'cause I'm immature doesn't mean I'm…not…mature. I'm insightful, and I listen to the things you say because your voice captivates me, and stuff! Of course I care." He shoved the flowers in front of my face. "Take them and please forgive me for my stupidity before I say something that angers you?"

I almost had to slap myself to hold my smile back. "You little scoundrel. You've stolen my heart, and I can't stay angry with you, Em. You will never, ever, get too far from me. You've got what I need."

_Blech. We couldn't just beat him up? Knock him around? Something un-clichéd? _

I took the flowers and shoved them in bow of my dress. I sighed.

Emmett held my shoulders. "Eh, I know you don't like clichés, but this one was supposed to be. So, I'm trying to be a nonconformist for you. We can go to the river in the forest and be nonconformists. We don't have to do anything. We can be innocents. Talk about love."

"We can be virgins, too."

It was quiet between us, then I started sniggering. Emmett followed suit.

"What are we, Edward?" Emmett choked between laughs.

"I know, are you kidding me?" I cackled.

"Rosalie, I meant everything I said, but I know, and you know that we're not going to be very innocent down by the river."

"You want to race me there?"

"I'll beat you there, Rosie-posy."

Frankly, I won. But in this case, it was the destination, not the journey that mattered.

* * *

_Emmett_

Life was really confusing me, but I rolled with the loops and tried not to get sick. Proverbially, of course, considering I'm a vampire and everything. That's not the point.

The point is that if you ever get the chance to have sex underwater with the one you love, you better take the chance.

Ha. Maybe that's dangerous...

But we're dangerous people, doing bad things to good people. We corrupt the innocent. We steal the stars from the night sky. We make it rain. We are renegades in a world of chained trained monkeys, subjugated by the oppressive claw of THE MAN. He is behind the shadows, controlling his puppets with a smile on his face. We are traitors, we break promises. We break everything. We're dangerous people. We break things. Breaking the will to live, breaking hearts and breaking backs…

Goddamn! I hate school!

If I could fall asleep right now, you can bet your behind I would. If there were seven levels of hell, this math class must have been the fifth or sixth. The math teacher, Mrs. Gray, was a complete demon. She was old and crabby and she honestly scared the living shit out of me.

I was so alone. Rosalie had science. I had gym class before this. Gym was one big dystopia, but only because of the amount of humans. With their blood pumping so loudly, and they're all sweaty and appealing…but I survived! Surprisingly. Well, I wasn't so alone. Alice had this class and gym with me. Alice was on the other side of the room, which didn't really stop either of us from talking to each other, but I think she was trying to make nice with Mrs. Gray while the rest of the class, including me, just feared her. I guess that was Alice for you. If anyone could make someone else a good person it'd be Alice. More power to her.

"Mrs. Gray?"

"What?"

"Just making sure; the slope of a line is proportionate to…" I tuned Alice out, because all of this was confusing me. When would I ever use coordinate geometry?

Never. That's when.

Mrs. Gray angrily re-explained the concept of slope, and then thank God, the bell rang. I could go home.

Rosalie is ready to go, and she's leaning on the locker next to mine. "What's taking you so long?"

"Nothing. You're just fast." I yanked my knapsack out of the locker and beckoned her to lead.

"Such a gentleman," she held my arm.

"Why thank you," I grinned.

The only reason I like school so far, despite it the first day, was the end. I liked seeing my love, being separated from her those two hours after lunch was completely heart wrenching.

That and, I wanted to see my favorite blue-haired blood-hungry brother!

And so begins the prank war of 1950...

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Superincrediblymegahumongously slow update! Sorry. It was really a mix of laziness, writers' block, and this chapter just being really long. I didn't know where to end it. Honestly, this one was just supposed to be a ten- or fifteen-page chapter, just about Jasper and Alice, but it mutated into this thirty-page monstrosity. But I like it, so it's cool like this. Uh, again, where I live, it's really late...well, was...when I edited this, and it's long. Did I mention my microscopic attention span? So, if I messed up badly, PLEASE don't hesitate to tell me about it. Thanks for reviews and faves and alerts and stuff.

I know that some of you out there don't bother reviewing, but you sign for faves and alerts…so that makes me feel a little better, because I have more readers than my reviews show. Life's good…

Also, props to anyone who found the random music references in the story so far. I wonder if anyone actually did.

Review if it floats your boat!

Edit: My birthday's Wednesday, the 29th, so...wish me a happy one?


	17. I Try Making You Wait

_(I Try Making You Wait, and You Give me Some Like you Give it Good)_

* * *

_Rosalie_

Today, again, I realized how much stupid shit I go through for other people.

I'm just one devilish tug from getting me to a point where this stupid war wouldn't matter, only I would matter. One pull. It was the sexiest thing I had done in a few days! I mean, this was intense. There I was, all vampire-y and half-naked, straddling Emmett and growling playfully at him as my fingers tease his hips. And he was uncomfortable and anxious, because I enjoyed watching him squirm like that. He knew he liked it anyways. One pluck, one yank! Just a twitch of my arm would give me, and him, what we wanted. And I would be home free! Us, entangled in the throes of our unending passion, too far in for tedious interruptions. I was completely willing and able. And he was too, and he whispered sweet nothings and feeble wanting pleads to me, and I was amused in a disgusting, controlling way and I denied him. Which made the whole thing a lot hotter. And I denied him, because it made him all the more beautiful when his ego didn't cover his angelic dimples. Nothing like sex to humble the most egotistical of men. I was getting my sick kicks from this, letting my hands graze his thighs and leaving wet kisses everywhere from his ears to his fingertips. Especially the fingertips.

And as I decide that I couldn't hold back anymore, and as my fingers slipped under the pinstripes, and as a lewd comment passed my lips…

I heard something. And fuck, I ignored it! But, alas, of course, Emmett didn't. He sat upright. "Baby, you heard that right?"

I was about to shake my head really hard and just yank his boxers off, but the good in me controlled my voice box. "Yes, I think so. Why?"

"Maybe it's-" I let a finger rest on his lips.

"Who cares?" I demanded. I felt a tickle of neuroticism. "I don't care. Let's just…"

"Fuck? Not now. Now I'm paranoid! What if it's him! What if it's him, sugarplum?" Emmett babbled.

I pouted. "What _if _it's him? Jasper can watch if he wants to. Although taking a picture would last longer."

Emmett threw a hand through his mess of hair. "Rosalie…let me take care of this first. It's better that way."

I was feeling like this stupid war was more important than me to my own husband. Dick Tracy gazed at me condescendingly from his poster near the window of Emmett's room. So did Batman.

"Emmett, this isn't Nazi Germany. This is a house full of vampires. It's not life and death."

"Rose, please. You know nil about the complex art of pranking. You just got to learn from the master, the prophet of the humor gods!"

"Pranking is not a word."

Emmett grabbed me by the hips and kissed me. Whatever I was about to lecture him about melted away. He dazed me long enough to lift me off him and hand me my bra. "Look, get decent." He turned into himself, away from me. "Once I win, I will be the best man of this house ever. Forever."

_Hey, do you guys ever think how life would be if we married Edward?_ Vampire Rosalie mused.

_The sex wouldn't be half as good. Emmett wins. _Bad Rosalie quipped, filing her nails.

He turned to me and mouthed, "I would give him seventeen seconds before this battle commences. Wanna help?"

I made my response loud and clear. Literally and figuratively, I suppose. "No. We are going to have a talk after this, Emmett." I spat.

He grimaced. "Sure, angel." I hopped off the bed, and slipped my shirt on. I think Emmett sensed the dire straits he was in at this point. "Sure, doll! Of course, my poppet, my love! Anything for you, my goddess. My kitten! My little apple! I love you, Miss Hale! My sweet? Sugarplum? Little lady? Rosie-posy?"

I turned to frown as hard as I could at him. I opened the door to see Jasper hanging from the ceiling. "Whatever you plan to do, do it hard and repeatedly," I said to him, and left him in the hallway.

"Yes Ma'am?" I heard him say before I shut my door with a click.

* * *

_Emmett_

I cast out all and every horrible thing that may happen to me when I next see Rosalie, and focused on the now. I haphazardly threw my clothes on.

I slid my hand into my nightstand drawer and produced a wonderful weapon known as the tie-dye gun. Seven different colors of dye, all retractable and able to work on their own but also able to mesh together to shoot this nasty mix of all of the colors, a dank purple muck. I was ready.

"Bring it on, Whitlock." I muttered to myself. "I'm ready for you!"

I leapt off the bed and slunk silently towards the door. Gun in hand, poised to strike, I tore the door open. I swung my head from side to side, looking for him. Where was that bastard? I knew he was out here.

"Who's got you now?" A voice crooned quietly above me.

Immediately, I tilt and shoot. Jasper hissed and jumped. At me. I fell. The gun scattered back into my room across the hardwood. There was a spatter of dye across the ceiling where Jasper was. As we tussled like dogs, Jasper started talking. "I was just gonna prank you, but your lady asked more of me, and I can't help being the chivalrous man I am, Emmett."

Rosalie…

"Thanks, now I'll be tired when I get executed." I muttered. I growled and flipped him over. "Hey, do you have anything else to do with your time besides torture me?"

"What, like having gratuitous sex with my wife all of the time every day? I have priorities!"

"Well, you're just saying that because Alice finds her soap operas more interesting than you."

Jasper managed to get me to the floor again. "Emmett, all I'm gonna tell you about my sex life is that it's great. No more." I snickered, but his hand knocked the air right out of me. "Shut up."

"I can't believe Alice is totally not angry at you," I grunted.

"She thinks it's a more of a fun game than an apocalyptic war. I would enjoy it if she kept thinking of this as that."

"Why do you bother anyway, Jas? You know you're going to lose."

"Oh, I don't know about that yet. Before you start making pompous claims, maybe you should just wait and see. I have lots of things up my sleeves. You can't count the underdog out, boy."

I noticed every time we switched positions, we were a bit closer to the grand staircase. If I could get him to just throw me over another time, I could throw him down the stairs and the whole house would know who the alpha male was.

"We'll see," I smirked. I could feel the curving edge of the top step. I took my arms and just pushed to the side. I didn't think it'd work, but he did fall. I was feeling smug, then I felt a hard tug on my pants and my legs slipping.

Damn. I didn't consider that possibility.

In the voice I completely expected a southern Dracula would sound, Jasper said, "I got you."

"This is cheap, man!" My legs started bumping as I fell. I couldn't keep my posture; I felt my torso crease and bend like paper and my legs began to appear in all sorts of places above my head.

I heard a new voice. "This black-eyed, wide-mouthed girl, not pretty but full of life…ran to hide her flushed face in the lace of her mother's mantilla—not paying the least attention to her severe remark—and began to laugh. She laughed, and in fragmentary sentences tried to explain about a doll which she had produced from the folds of her frock…" Bah, War and Peace. It could only be two people, Carlisle or Edward. It sounded like Edward.

I knew it was him, because I hit him as I tumbled. I heard the thick copy War and Peace clunk on the wood of the stairs. Besides, that would be the only way he didn't leap out of the way. He was going to be pissed. I think I might be able to get out of this mess. Maybe, before I hit the landing, I could like, barrel roll into a run.

Jasper's grip loosened as we tumbled. This was my chance. I let my body somersault once or twice, and like a rocket I leaped over the banister. I leaped over the banister: bad idea, now that I reconsider. I think it's too late as I'm sailing through the air. But I found myself surrounded by softness, particularly down and cotton, and coldness, and the scent of candies.

I looked up. Alice stared back. "Hi Emmett," she smiled. "Is there a reason why you flew from a staircase into my arms?"

"It's not something I want to explain," I sighed.

"And that's fine."

"Alice," I said emphatically, "you are swell." With that, I hopped from her arms and skipped merrily towards the landing of the staircase. Edward stood, leaning on the banister.

Edward frowned, brushing specks of dirt into the air. "Everyone tells me I'm being too cynical and sarcastic. I'm trying to be a nicer person. Have you seen my book? It's about this thick." He put a four-inch space between his index finger and thumb.

"Well, bully for you, Ed! But I think it's higher up on the staircase."

"Ah, thank you," Edward began to coast up the stairs.

Jasper was sprawled across the floor. "You know what? You just made me fall to my presumable human death." After picking himself up, he pointed menacingly at me. "And I ain't gonna take that. Watch your back." I kept a straight face as he just stared me down, but it didn't seem helpful as he could _know _the fear and ironic doubt I felt. Like my older brother, he flicked my nose hard before he left me at the landing. I watched him stomp to the front door. He slammed it hard.

Alice made a face. "I don't know what you're doing to make him like that, but that's not how he is. I bet you guys'll be the best of friends after this whole thing."

"I bet. Now I've got to face my impending doom."

"Have fun with that," Edward grinned crookedly as he met me on his decent.

"Thanks," I trudged up the staircase. Slowly, I knocked on her door.

"You didn't have to knock. I knew it was you…" I heard her mumble. I pushed the door open.

"Hi."

"Emmett, let's talk. Sit. Sit with me, babe," she patted her bed.

I did so. Fearfully.

Rosalie looked up to the ceiling as she sighed. "Okay. I know I act a little dramatic sometimes" – a little? – "and I don't think I need to burn down the house to get my point across to you anymore. Not today."

I nodded more times than I needed to.

"I don't want to be a nagging wife, or anything, but…how old are you now? Fifty or so? You need to grow up. But you probably never will, so I just have a proposition."

"What is it?" I squeaked.

"You know this?" She asked, before I could ask her what she meant, she seized my chin with her hand and kissed me hard. It was sweet and sexy at the same time. These were the best kisses. I felt my insides melt to mush. But before it began, it ended. "This?" she reiterated, holding the sides of my face. She held me softly, and let one hand wander to turn over and feel my face with the back of her hand. "The connection you and I get when we touch, even the lightest brush? The spark of heat, the sensation of flying when we kiss?" Her sweet scent enticed me, tickling me, and her hair shimmered where there was no light. Slowly, I nodded. I felt drunk, and I hadn't had a bottle of whiskey in a long time. "Do you know how wonderful it feels in your strong embrace? You make me feel like no one, or anything will ever hurt me. I know you would protect me. When we make love, I feel like we're flying and we're gods. And you know, I mean everything I say."

"Of course," I whispered.

I noticed her lean closer, letting her breath roll over my lips. She must have been millimeters away. She wouldn't mind just one little kiss, one smooch. I let my lips part just a bit, and I almost got her. I ended up letting my lips get her hand. I could see Rosalie trying to hide a smile past it. "But, I can't give you any of that if I fear our time and our damn connection is interrupted by a trivial squabble. I just can't, honey."

I squinted at her. "What are you insinuating?"

Rosalie laughed. "I'm saying, until there is some kind of resolution, I won't touch you. I won't let you touch me. All I will give you is the recognition that," she picked my hand from my lap, and held my ring finger, pointing out the gold band on it, "you're my husband, and that you exist."

My spirits crashed into the sea and drowned. "That I exist?" I squeaked.

She nodded slowly. "And you do, Emmett. You do exist."

Slowly, shock morphed into desperation and confusion. "Nothing? Not a kiss? Not a hug? Sunshine, you can't do that to me! Sunshine, I'm a very physical person!"

"I can, and I will do that to you. I know you're such a physical broad, and I figured this would be the most effective way to get a point across. Okay, I'm done with you. Run along, if you'd like."

I decided to make the best of a dank situation. "Rose, let's go somewhere."

"Where would you like to go, husband of mine?"

Make her happy. Make her content. Make her happy, happy! "Let's go to that mall over the next town."

My baby's face brightened like a bonfire in the middle of May. "Oh, oh my God! You would willingly go shopping with me?"

"If it makes you happy, then surely!"

It looked like she was going to scream, but she pointed and pouted. "Are you going to pay for it?"

"Of course."

"Bweeeeeeeeeeeeeee! You're just great! I will meet you in the car, Emmett baby! I hope _you _cleared your schedule, big guy." Rosalie squealed. She clapped and bolted, leaving me in her room. "No, I will still not touch you!" I heard her yell from downstairs.

Goddamn it!

…

The nearest mall was absurdly new, and it was near Seattle. It wasn't that long of a drive. Occasionally, as we drove, I would turn to smile at her and she would beam back at me. She was happy. Her hands were firmly placed on her lap, but she was happy. That's what a gentleman like me wants. They want their woman happy. _I_ do.

I turned to look again, and she had a smirk glued to her face. "You know, I should get something slinky and small and sexy just to bother you."

"Don't be like that, Rose."

"But it would be the funniest thing ever!"

"For you," I shot back. "Only for you. For me, it's just an aching and sadness."

Rosalie giggled.

"It's not funny, Rose."

There was a pause.

"Yeah it is," she said. I knew I wasn't going to win this fight. I clicked my tongue in morose defeat. "And anyhow, I should buy it, and it'll have everything that makes you gasp all in it, and I will wear it as much as possible. And you might feel this little stirring in you, and you won't know what to call it. Do you?"

"No," I said through my teeth.

"It's called regret, honey. Guilt. It will eat at your soul forever, Emmett."

"I thought vampires don't have souls," I muttered. I wanted a clever response for that one.

"I'm not being literal. Fine, it will eat at your proverbial hypothetical soul."

I huffed.

"We should go put a puzzle together when we get home. I have a picture of a palm tree we could put together. One thousand pieces."

"Oh, come ON! Are you doing this to bother the living hell out of me?"

"That could be a reason. But, you know you still love me."

If I said anything vaguely negative at all, I'd be slapped. I huffed again. "We're here. What store would my dearest like to peruse at first?"

I watched, eye possibly twitching, as she ran her hands up and down her legs. "Hmm…I don't know? What about…no, I don't know! Hmm…" She put a finger to her lip in thought. I couldn't take it anymore. I moved as fast as I could to snatch her hand. When I did, she glared. "Let go."

"I am forfeiting as soon as we get home, I swear," I whispered. Rosalie grinned. "Now get over here." The kiss was sweeter than maple syrup and more wanting than eating a feast after a five-year famine.

…

They say you should swallow your pride because it's not fattening anyway. I guess they're right. Although vampires can't eat anything besides blood, and they have no calorie intake system, I guess they're right.

We went through the garage to meet the rest of the family. I, of course, was forced to carry everything Rose bought, and she held nothing. Ah, the power of everlasting love!

Straight up, I turned to Jasper – frowning on the couch – and I told him, "I give up, you win. I wave the flag. Are you satisfied?"

I was expecting a smug smile, but he has this weirder frown, like, he was going to warn me about something. I stepped forwards. That's all I had time to do.

I felt an abrasive fabric curl around my ankle like an anaconda. It yanked at me, and I fell, but it was too quick for me to feel my butt hit the floor. My body turned upside down and the shopping bags fell out of my hands. The rope rocketed in some direction, pulling me in it. I was going up, and I caught the staircase in my sight as I passed. I must have been upstairs by now.

Something hit me hard, and it grunted at me. "Emmett?" Carlisle's voice said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing! Um," I squeaked, "Backgammon, Othello. Nothing! Nothing!"

"I'll talk to you later," I heard him sigh as I flew past him.

I felt my helpless self smack into the wall next to the upstairs hallway window. The rope pulled again, and I was being yanked through a window that shouldn't have wide-shouldered men going through them. No joke.

Only now, I hear, "Em, babe! I'll get you, sweetie!"

"You are late!" I wailed, and frowned. "It's okay, baby! Let your man get himself out of this mess and proceed to tear his foster brother's windpipe from his neck…"

"Em…"

"Trust me, I'm a vampire. Let me take care of it," I assured.

Rosalie sighed as she stared out the window.

I figured out that I was attached to a tree. I could try and untie it, or I could do something else. Obviously, I could just use my luckily enhanced abdominal muscles to reach up and untie the rope. That would be the better decision. So, I use all of my strength to claw to the grass speckled dirt around the house. I dug my nails into the soft stuff, and let them go far enough for my hands to be underground. In a show of massive power, I jabbed my leg forwards, and there was a loud snap that made me sick to my stomach for some reason, it sent a hollow thump through my being and I felt like I had sixteen cups of coffee and I wanted to run and die at the same damn time.

And that creeps me out a bit. I felt myself fall loose to the ground. I flipped to my back to see the tree snapped in two, the majority of it stuck to the rope on my leg. I stared at it, and I felt sick again. If I could hurl, I would right now. If I could get a nosebleed or a heart attack right now, I probably would. God, what's happening? I shook it off and waved to Rose. "I'm good!"

She chuckled from the window. "It would have been a lot less destructive if I were to just untie you."

"That's not the Emmett way to do things!"

"Okay, I won't intervene with your flights of grandeur," she smiled. With a graceful leap, she met me. She tugged the rope and it snapped primly. "I think we should go have Jasper explain to you what just happened."

I just cracked my knuckles.

"Do behave!" Rose growled. It slowly slipped into a suggesting pull of her lips. "Save your corruption for me."

I started for the front door again, ignoring the fact that I could just go climb up to the window. "Well, we could just meander off into the wild wood and get lost for a while."

"If only we could. We'd never get back home!"

We both laughed.

"Would that be a problem if it were the case, Rose?"

In response, she just smiled at me. Then I remembered that I have to go confront the winner. Who wasn't me. I am sad and angry at the same time. Soon, we were back inside. Rosalie's shopping bags had magically made their way out of the living room, like something out of Cinderella. Carlisle, Jasper and Alice were sitting in the living room.

"Well, let's see, Emmett. What is it that you guys were doing to get yourself propelled out of our house through a window?" Carlisle clasped his hands together.

"Well, it was just a game. A game that I lost. We were just having fun, we were just joshing!"

"Really now? Well, it sounded so intense from the study; I just assumed that it was a little more serious. Forgive me, Emmett."

"Yeah. You're okay." I realized the subtle British sarcasm. "I mean, sorry..." I fixed.

"Yes well, please don't do something like this again," Carlisle motioned to Jasper and I.

We both muttered some kind of affirmative.

"Well good. Why don't all of you relax for a while. And don't forget to do your homework somehow."

"That's an idea."

* * *

_Rosalie_

Well, I've still got it! I'm convinced now that I always will. It's like a Greek myth. I just happen to own a strong virile man who turns into a willing puppy at my slightest whim…and that is a beautiful thing.

_No it's not! You have some kind of psychological urge to control the people around you, and the last person you should control is your loving husband. Shame on you!_ Vampire Rosalie spat.

_Oh, that's my girl! Using people's needs to get things you want, using your sex appeal as a token… It's like you finally understand how I function, Rose!_ Bad Rosalie swooned.

I just knew that Em likes what I give him. It's not that dastardly, is it?

_Well, I think you should reconcile with something special. Something sweet that will ultimately lead to something warmer, yeah? You should go swimming or walking or something natural because he fancies that stuff._ Good Rosalie shrugged.

Well, I suppose I was being a bit harsh. Such a sweet boy, I just beat him so. I feel a twinge of regret…but I'll fix it. I fix everything. Let's finish the homework, shall we?

…

I had to finish this five-page biology packet and a good deal of algebra, but, I got it done fairly easily. So, here I sat in my room, trying to get an idea of a grand old fun time for my guy.

…I'd just let him run with me. Or something, because I am way too tired to come up with something intricate right now. So, I am just going to let everything run its course. Okay.

Emmett came to bother me about a half hour later. The door clicked open. "Hi. Just checking, we're all good now, right?"

"Yes. Want to go somewhere?"

Emmett got a funny confused smirk. "Sure. Where?"

"Uh," I thought quickly. "The roof?"

"Oh, I love it up there!"

"Glad to know." I hopped from my bed to hug him. His arms curved around me. His scent tickled me. I let go of him, and pulled him by his hand. "We can go through my window."

I led him to my bedroom window, and pushed it open. It was a nice day, for Forks. There were open spots in the perpetual cloud cover, big blue holes. The sun burned through a mass of gray and just shined. Thank God it's Saturday. It was a leap to bound over the metal gutter onto the shingles of the roof. I sat with grace on the roof, and Emmett followed suit.

We sparkled. It was a beautiful bout of sunlight. It seemed to break through my crystalline skin and soak to the deepest parts of me.

"I like the sun. It's too bad we'd sparkle at school." Emmett said.

"I suppose the sun is nice. I feel so warm."

"I love it when the sun shines all over you, and your hair sparkles. It looks like grain on the countryside. It reminds me of my childhood."

I stared at him. He stared back. His lips pouted curiously and his amber eyes glimmered with happiness. "I love you, my farmer boy."

"Love you, city girl." Emmett smiled. I leaned into him and let my arms fall under his shirt so I could feel a bit of his smooth skin. I let my lips brush his upper arm, then I tilted my head so my ear was against his arm.

I fell in love again.

Goddamn it! This must happen every week!

The clouds, who naturally were always lurking near the sun, made their way over the sun again in a fashion that indicated a shower. I sighed. "The sun was nice while it lasted."

Emmett nodded.

I looked up again. "So, want to snag a snack?"

"That'd be swell."

Emmett got up and strode to the edge of the roof, and just fell. It scared me for a second, and then I remembered he was immortal. Cocky bastard. Love ran through my veins.

I followed him off the roof. I was about to break into a sprint, but, I feel Emmett's arms lift me. Naturally, I say, "What are you doing?"

"I've just been an ass lately. Is carrying you around making you happy?"

"No!" I squirmed in his grasp.

"Would you like it if I…" he trailed off. I felt a few deft fingers across my midsection, tickling me.

A stupid withholding smile bubbled on my face, and second later it turned into uncontrollable laughter. Why did my ticklishness remain after my death?

I was desperate for him to stop. "Em! Em, please!" I paused for a break of raucous un-ladylike snorts and laughs. "Baby, stop! I hate you!" I giggled.

My eyes were shut from my blissful torture, but I saw the smug expression on his face when he said, "That's what they all say."

His fingers flew from each ticklish spot on my body to the next.. I couldn't remember the times when he found them. By now I was failingly trying to fend myself from Emmett, on the grass of the back of the house. "You like it now?" He grinned, letting a playful growl slip. "What are you going to do?"

I tried to growl back, but it shook into laughter. I am not going to win.

_Hey, try pushing his side with two fingers._ Good Rosalie whispered.

I shot an arm out and hit the side of torso. Immediately, his hands pulled away. He fell to his back, guffawing. I got to my feet, and booked it.

"I am going to get you so bad for that." Emmett said behind me. I ran faster.

But apparently, I cannot run fast enough. Not today. I find myself against a well-placed tree. "Now, you should have just admitted defeat and I would have stopped. But, nay, you must be so stubborn. There are consequences, sugarplum." This was really damn intense for a tickling match, but I liked it too. "So, you want to apologize now?"

"Of course not," I turn from him, only sparing the smallest sliver of my eye to see him.

"Be like that!" His hands came back for another round. I began to laugh.

"You stop that!" I managed between loud laughter. I must stop him. The first thing that came to mind, I used. I threw my hands to his face and kissed him long enough to daze him. Then I stood. And I smirked. "I win."

And I continued my hunt with a lot more hip sway as I left him there.

He got up and shoved his hands in his pockets all ashamed and abashed. Followed me. I turned to smile at him. He smiled back, and somewhere, the sun just came out.

The hunt went rather boringly, and we didn't find any exciting game. As we walked back to the house, and crack of thunder sounded and I sighed. Rain greeted my warm skin. My wonderful hair went down and flat to my head like a slave to weather. This was quick. The rain was hard.

"We're running," I told my husband.

"You don't want me to carry you?"

"Hell no I don't. Let's go."

The rain whipped with the wind and I wondered if we'd play baseball today. Lightning struck far away. Thunder clapped and rocked the forest, and a chill snuck into the humid air. Everything I was wearing was soaked. Soaked.

I felt like a cat, I wanted to hiss.

Emmett was always behind me, twirling or tasting or something like that. I forgot he liked rain. He looked stupid and funny, and cute as he frolicked. But I'm still not happy.

I looked back again as we ran. Mid-spin, Emmett stopped to look. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I hate rain, babe." I tried blowing my hair up. It didn't work. "Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah," he muttered. Louder, he said, "Don't worry about it," he held my arm. Slowly it inched towards the small of my back. "When we get back, you can just take off all and everything you're wearing. You can hang it up somewhere. While they dry, we can just-"

We stopped again. Emmett was trying to get sex again, and I was tired of that right now. "I just let you off the hook! I'm not going to let you just take me whole right now!"

"Don't be like that, sweetie. I know what you're thinking. I am not a good-looking man with an overactive sex drive. I just think if I just got dragged by an ankle up through our house and out a window, I deserve something."

"That was not what I was thinking."

"What's the longest river in the world?"

"What? The Nile."

"Exactly. You know you wanted it earlier."

"What? Shut the hell up, Emmett." I growled. "I'm tired."

He coughed – "_Bad excuse_!" – badly. I turned to glare. "What, I have some nonexistent phlegm in my throat. I'll get that checked out at the doctor's."

"There's the house!" I pointed.

I got back into my room from the roof and stood. I dripped. Pears and cinnamon and wetness entered my nostrils. Two arms wrapped around me, and a warm kiss met with my cold neck. I was about to recoil and slap him, but he took his lips away and whispered to me. "Just relax. Just relax, Rosie-posy. Let me love you."

I sighed, and all the tension went away. "You don't mean it," I persisted. "You just want some."

"Shh. No. It's not all about that. When I see the seventeen different shades of colors your hair turns when it's wet, I just find another thing that makes you beautiful. There isn't a need for a fight."

"No. No need. Lay with me?" I turned to face him. With a nod, I broke from him and fell to the bed. I watched my hair let moisture into the silk sheets. Emmett went down next to me, his hands eager to hug me again. One arm surrounded me, and that was enough. The other played with my hair and I could feel his body against mine. Hyperaware. A leg between mine, his lips at the top of my neck, his nose in my hair. His hips were aligned with my own, and I closed my eyes in pure bliss. It was all good. I turned in his embrace to meet his face. I pecked his lips and blinked. Slowly, I kissed him again, with good intentions. I pulled away, and smiled. I noticed the dark blob of dampness surrounding us. "I'm so wet!" I moaned.

His thumb snuck its way under my shirt as he remarked, "Are you?"

I met his eyes to see the double meaning. A smile crept to me.

…

Sex helps. Well, at least when you're me.

* * *

_Emmett_

If we ever get a new addition to family, they will never know about the prank war of '50. I will keelhaul Jasper if he says anything about it. So there. I hate losing! I'll just challenge him to an arm wrestling contest and I will win. So there. Anyway, I'm jut having a day where I wish I were normal.

Um, actually, I haven't had a day like that before. I love being me. I love drinking blood and hopping over cars and never having children and looking good! Maybe, in a dream, or an alternate universe, we'd - me and Rose - be the McCartys, and we'd have a pretty house on the east coast and we'd have a dog and a cat. We'd have our 2.52 children, and I might work on a farm or a factory because the family would come first. I don't know. I'm a sap. Does it hurt to ponder about this stuff? Yeah. It kinda does.

And all during this, I had been playing Scrabble with Rosalie for a while. I was thinking more. A dangerous idea for me. But still…

Lately, I've also been thinking about my urge for human blood. I still want to kill everyone I meet, but I don't have to. Will I snap? Will I snap again? I'm always a little scared. Then we'll have to leave again. And it would be my fault. I don't want it to be my fault, ever again. No.

If a human dies at the cost of the Cullen name again, I want Jasper to do it. He's all unstable anyway! So it makes sense. No more from me.

I swear.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

**Read!!!!: **Okay. Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. I am going to explain everything. My laptop is broken still. So, I have had to write on my grandmother's computer forever. Then I was at sleepaway camp last week. For two days I was home, at Grandma's. I finished the story there, but there was a glitch with login and then uploading documents, so I never got to update the chapter before I went away again! :(

So, my laptop's charger broke, epically, and we got another one. It didn't fit my laptop. So we bought another, it took three weeks to come, and it worked a little. Like, I would have to jerk the cord to get it to charge and shit, and then the actual charger stopped working. So we bought YET ANOTHER CORD to get it to work. It worked for a while, then I lost my draft of this chapter. Then my computer gets a virus. So I have to clear my whole hard drive. I had three other different drafts, all fails – deleted somehow. Then the charger I got then failed, and before my laptop died, I managed to email the fourth draft of Chapter 17 to myself, and I downloaded it to Word. The thing was, my computer's version of word is different, better than my grandma's so I had to download something to get to convert the draft. Then it took me a while to finish. Or something like that.

I would not be surprised if I have sucky reviews this chapter, because it is hasty and bad and just…ew. So, yeah. This is more a reminder that I still like the story than a real chapter. Here you go. Now you know. Okay? But I was surprised how fracking vulgar this chapter is, for being the one who wrote it. It's like, borderline M. It's not, though. No. Unless you're six, in which case I wouldn't advise you to read this story at all. I mean, I was sitting there, like, with the line, "Today I realized how much shit I got through for other people." just sitting there, and I think, "where can this go?" And my dirty mind spits out the first thing, which was sex. My original plot had a lot more _prank war _and a lot less _Rose and Em fluff stuff_. Oh well. You know. Mind any editing errors, I know there's like two I must have missed. Expect the next chapter in less than 4 months!

Review if you really want to! Although after all this crap, you be really rad if you did.


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